Letter: More Trustees and Better Communications Could Help With Playing Fields Management

Published on: 31 Jul, 2017
Updated on: 31 Jul, 2017

The EVRT committee at their AGM

From Norma Miller

vice-president EPFA (Effingham Playing Fields Association)

Since the original article by Chris Dick [Unhappy AGM Discusses Running of Effingham Amenities] and subsequent letters and comments, I have spent many hours wondering how things have become so contentious between EVRT, some user groups and the villagers.

My opinion, for what it is worth, is that the trustees, with the best will in the world, have totally lost sight of why they are there. Surely they are there to manage KGV for the village and villagers. How can they do this if they never have time for meetings with user groups within KGV and other groups within the village?

The five trustees, four of whom have been appointed by the Parish Council and one co-opted, appear to be carrying out their own agenda without any prior discussion with anyone else. They volunteered to act as management trustees for the KGV playing fields that are a village facility for everyone. In my opinion, they cannot do that if they stand alone.

Did these volunteers realise just how time-consuming the role of management trustee would be? I believe they did not, and still do not, realise the importance of communication and discussion with other users throughout the village.

All volunteers, whatever their role, are a valuable asset to any community – that cannot be overlooked. The Charity Scheme states that there should be four nominated trustees and not more than three co-opted trustees – there would appear to be space for an additional two co-opted trustees that could help ease their load if appointed.

Why have the Effingham Rugby Club and EPFA been unable to arrange a meeting with all of the trustees? As an EPFA committee member, we have only been able to meet with two of the five.

The last user group meeting was several years ago although these have also been requested. Effingham Parish Council last met with them in February 2016 and are not due to meet again until the autumn of this year. Surely this is not a healthy situation.