Annual General Meeting 2024

We to are giving notice to all shareholders in the Blue Bell Stoke Ferry with notice of the next Annual Meeting of Stoke Ferry Community Enterprise, the Community Benefit Society (CBS) that is the legal structure for the project to renovate, reopen and run the Blue Bell.

All shareholders are Members of the CBS and so are eligible to attend the meeting and stand for election to its Management Committee.

We need at least 10% of shareholders to attend so that the meeting is quorate. That will mean that we can meet legal obligations at the meeting without needing to schedule another meeting at a later date. Thank you in advance for your time.

Full details of the meeting and the election are below. As required, the meeting notice will be posted at our registered address and also at the Blue Bell itself.

Notice of Annual Meeting

Stoke Ferry Community Enterprise Limited (SFCEL)

Community Benefit Society

The Annual Members Meeting of SFCEL will take place on Monday, 28th October at 7pm, at the Blue Bell, Lynn Road, Stoke Ferry, PE33 9SW.

The meeting is only open to Members (Shareholders) and you will need to register on arrival.

Agenda

Declaration of results of election to the Management Committee
Presentation of Accounts for Financial year 1 April 2023 - 31 March 2024
Report on the last financial year
Report on plans for the current year
Report on state of the Membership and the membership strategy
Any other business

Management Committee Election

All Members (Shareholders) are eligible to take part in the meeting and to put themselves forward for election to fill vacancies on the Management Committee.

There are currently two vacancies, as two members of the committee will stand down at the AGM.

Anyone who wants to stand for election must send notice to

info@bluebellstokeferry.org

by midnight on Sunday, 13th October 2024.

As well as your name and address, please also send an election statement of no more than 200 words that can be circulated to Members to inform their vote.

The election will be held online. We will write to Members with full details of how to vote no later than 17th October.

See the CBS Rules

Stoke Ferry Community Enterprise Limited

℅ Mill House Cottage, High Street, Stoke Ferry, PE33 9SF

Registered with the FCA, No.8415

info@bluebellstokeferry.org

ABOUT US

Established in 1795, the Blue Bell has been proudly owned and run by the community since 2021

We aim to be a great country pub, cafe and community hub serving Stoke Ferry and surrounding villages.

We have established a Community Benefit Society as a transparent way to deliver the project with the community.

Stoke Ferry Community Enterprise Limited (SFCEL) is run primarily for the benefit of the community at large, rather than just for members of the society. This means that it must have an overarching community purpose that reaches beyond its membership.

The money raised by our share offer, combined with other funding, enabled SFCEL to, buy, renovate and safeguard the Blue Bell for the future. The Society ensures the pub makes enough profit to be sustainable, but the overarching goal is to provide great services and play a vital role as a hub within our community.

Stoke Ferry Community Enterprise Limited

A Community Benefit Society (CBS)

Registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), No. 8415

Companies House RS008415

See the Rules of the CBS

See our annual returns and accounts on the FCA website.

The Committee

The Committee is elected by Members (shareholders). Each Committee Member is elected for a three-year term, though some were elected for shorter terms when the committee was first established to ensure that terms were staggered and did not all end at the same time. There may by six members of the Committee, who choose a Chair and Secretary from amongst themselves. The Committee may also co-opt non-voting members. We have done so to increase the expertise and capacity of the Committee.

The current Committee consists of the following elected and co-opted members.

Linda Curd

David Deathe

Debbie Edwards

Ray Edwards (Standing down at the October 2024 AGM)

Laura Laxen (co-opted)

Alan Lury (Secretary) (Standing down at he October 2024 AGM)

Mark Pemberton (co-opted)

Stephen Ward (Chair)

BE A PART OF IT

The Blue Bell is managed by a volunteer Committee and a committed team of volunteers and paid staff.

With pubs closing at a truly worrying rate at the moment, that team is doing incredible work continuing to develop the important role of the Blue Bell in the community.

Consider volunteering.

It's not just shifts in the café and pub, behind the bar, serving and cleaning up. We could also use marketing expertise, garden and building maintenance and event management experience. It's great fun and you will make some brilliant new friends.
Over time we are slowly creating more paid roles. But we will be leaning heavily on volunteers for a little while longer.
Drop us a line on the Contact page to get started!