Friends of Watermans Park
Annual General Meeting
15 October 2024 at 7pm
To be held at Digital Dock, 205 High Street, Brentford, TW8 8AH
Agenda
To consider and if thought fit to pass the following resolutions:
- TO approve the minutes of the 2023 AGM (see ANNEX I)
- TO receive, consider and adopt the Chair & Treasurer's statement for the year ended 31 March 2024 (see ANNEX II)
- TO reappoint Kal Watrobski as Secretary from the conclusion of the meeting
- TO reappoint Philip Jones as Chair & Treasurer from the conclusion of the meeting
There will also be an opportunity to raise any other questions at the meeting.
If a member is unable to attend the meeting they may vote on the resolutions here up until 12pm on 15 October.
Immediately following the formal business of the AGM, Janet McNamara will be giving a talk about how Brentford’s High Street has changed over the last 100 years or so. Janet is a Local Historian, Heritage Guide and a Friend.
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ANNEX I
Minutes of the 3rd Annual General Meeting on 7 June 2023 held at Studio Flox at 7pm.
The Chair noted that notice for the meeting had been circulated on 5 May 2023 and an agenda and papers on 29 May 2023. The meeting was declared quorate.
- The minutes of the 2022 AGM were approved.
- The Chair and Treasurer’s Statement for the year ended 31 March 2023 was discussed and approved.
- Jane Dickinson was unanimously re-elected as a committee member from the conclusion of the meeting by those present and who had provided their votes to the Chair.
- Sara Novakovic was unanimously re-elected as a committee member from the conclusion of the meeting by those present and who had provided their votes to the Chair.
- Angie Loader was unanimously elected as a committee member from the conclusion of the meeting by those present and who had provided their votes to the Chair.
- There was no other business to be recorded in the minutes.
Philip Jones
Chair, Friends of Watermans Park
7 June 2023
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ANNEX II
Chair & Treasurer’s statement for the year ending 31 March 2024
The principal purpose of the Friends Group set out in its constitution is to help protect, conserve and enhance Watermans Park, its environs and access to the River Thames for the enjoyment of local residents and visitors.
The local residents who have formed the Friends Group envisage a vibrant community amenity which can host community events as well as an attractive recreational area by the River Thames for all to enjoy.
This statement is a summary of activities for the year ending 31 March 2024 and since the year end to date.
Green Flag Awards
We were delighted that in July 2023 the park was a first-time winner of a Green Flag Award for 2023/24 and that it has recently been renewed for 2024/25. The award is not only a recognised quality standard it also gives the Friends an opportunity to influence the Council’s Parks Team’s Management Plan for park.
Summer Bandstands
We really want to showcase the park, support local acts and encourage people to come to the park on summer weekend afternoons. In June and July 2023 there were 5 Summer Bandstands. For the 2024 season there were 4 Summer Bandstands in July 2024 and 2 over the Creative Mile weekend of 31 August / 1 September. All were hosted by Edwin Addis who is a local musician.
Typically, at each Bandstand there were 3 or 4 local acts over 2 hours and they have now started to attract growing audiences of perhaps 80 – 100 (on a warm summer afternoon!). There were more than 20 acts in 2024 and we were very pleased to welcome back the Speak Out in Hounslow choir. Great music and a relaxed family atmosphere give us encouragement, subject to funding, to continue the Bandstands in 2025.
In 2024 we were delighted that GoodGym promoted the Bandstands to their volunteers and that at each Bandstand at least a couple of volunteers were able to help setup.
We are also very grateful to Lena Sandhu of the Council’s Parks Team who found a small container for us and had it relocated to the park to store our growing collection of equipment.
And, many thanks to Edwin, the park now has a theme tune which you can find on the Friends You Tube channel.
The Bandstands in each year have been made possible by grants from the Thriving Communities Fund.
Talks
A sense of place is important and the Friends have been pleased to organise talks which have proved to be very popular. Our sincere thanks to Janet McNamara, Miranda Vickers, Jim Storrar and Scott Margetts who have given talks over the last year.
June 2023 – Samuel Leigh’s wonderful 1829 “Panorama of the Thames” with Janet McNamara
February 2024 – Islands of the River Thames with Miranda Vickers & Jim Storrar. A Friends video with drone footage of Watermans Park in Winter was also shown.
April 2024 – Kingfishers of Brentford with Scott Margetts including an exhibition of Scott’s photographs on Lots Ait.
Talks in 2024 at the Digital Dock have attracted around 50 people to each event. Many appreciated the opportunity to visit Lots Ait.
Immediately following the formal business of this year’s AGM, Janet McNamara has kindly agreed to give a talk about the “Changing Face of Brentford’s High Street” over the last 100 years or so. Janet is a Local Historian, Heritage Guide and a Friend.
Heritage Trail Information Panels
Two panels have recently installed in the park providing information about Brentford Ait anf the Brentford Gas Works. Both the subject of talks in 2023 & 2024.
Many thanks to Jim Storrar, David Shailes, Brentford Voice, B&C Local History Society. The panels have been funded by the Thriving Communities Fund.
Picturing Brentford
Watermans Park also features in Picturing Brentford, a walking trail along the High Street and Waterside to bring Brentford’s rich history to life, for adults and families. It has been created by Gideon Reeling as part of Hounslow’s Summer of Culture. The trail features Watermans Park and St. George’s at Trail Point 2. 
Come along with a smartphone to scan QR codes that will help you take a step back in time to discover the stories, the places, the faces and voices that have gone to shape the town – and those that still do today.
Gideon Reeling collaborated with local historians, Brentford Voice as well as local museums including London Museum of Water and Steam and the Friends.
Mural
In May 2024 Liam Moore of GreenSpace360 commissioned Henry Jever to create a wonderful 40m mural on the north wall. Given the strong growth of the new planting over the summer it will only fully reveal itself again this autumn.
Community garden
Rob Petrow’s re-landscaping masterplan in 2021 identified a discreet area of approx 500sqm close to the eastern entrance as suitable for a community garden. Our vision is to create a beautiful space in the park that promotes health, wellbeing, sustainability and community friendships. The community garden will be accessible for all with informal seating, include permanent planting, growing areas in raised beds and tubs, encourage vertical planting, use pergolas and have space to display artwork in the pavement and heritage assets from the river. It will become an important additional resource for local schools. The positive results of a survey in March 2024 can be found at https://talk.hounslow.gov.uk/watermans-park-community-garden. Pupils from Green Dragon Primary School also shared their ideas and submitted some wonderful drawings of what they would like to see in the garden.
In July 2024 we submitted an “Expression of Interest” form to apply for a capital grant from the Thriving Communities Fund. This has now been considered we are delighted to be invited to submit a full application and are excited about the possibilities. It will take a little while to gather all the information necessary before submitting the application.
Moorings development
There have been no contractors on site for more than a year. All licences to carry out works in the river have now expired and need to be renewed / extended. We await information from the Council and the developer to understand any implications for the park and riverside.
Friends Group finances
An annual membership subscription of £10 was introduced from 2022/23. There are there are 21 members who have paid their subscription for 23/24. Subscription notices for 2024/25 will soon be sent to members.
The costs of staging the Summer Bandstands have been funded by grants from the Thriving Communities Fund, sponsors in 2023 and other funding. The other principal cost was public liability insurance. After the costs have been reimbursed cash balances will be £294.
Hounslow Parks Team
The Friends thank Gaye Galvin (Head of Parks Development and Green Infrastructure) and Lena Sandhu (Parks Project Officer) for their support and Liam Moore’s Greenspace 360 team for looking after the park including Jim Buchan (Allotment Officer). And a special mention to Steve Reid who empties the bins daily during the week, removing litter and reporting any damage.
As ever, there are always some matters that need attending to and there are a list of items that the teams are following up for us.
Friends Group Committee
The other members of the Friends Group Committee are Kal Watrobski (Secretary), Jane Dickinson, Angie Loader and Sara Novakovic. My sincere thanks for their support and especially to Kal who has made her Studio Flox available for Friends events and organising the Summer Bandstands in the park.
This coming year will be exciting if we can secure funding to create a community garden in the park. We’ll need all the help we can get to make it a success.
At this AGM, Kal and I will seek re-election on 15 October 2024.
Philip Jones
Chair, Friends of Watermans Park
6 October 2024