Secretary/Treasurer: Bruce Goldfarb

7 Saracen Fields, Walderslade, Chatham, ME5 9DG

Telephone: 01634 683034 - E-mail: goldfarb65@btinternet.com  - Branch website www.medwaynarpo.org

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You are cordially invited to attend the Annual General Meeting and Spring Meeting of the Branch to be held at, The Avenue Theatre, Avenue of Remembrance, Sittingbourne (opposite Police Station), at 7.30 pm on Tuesday 20th March 2018.

Agenda

1. Apologies
2. Obituaries
3. Minutes of Winter Meeting
4. Chairman’s Report
5. Matters arising
6. Half yearly
7. Secretary’s Report
8. Treasurer’s Report
9. Election of Officers
10. Election of Committee
11. Delegates to Conference
12. Honorarium Chairman/Secretary

Secretary's Report

I have now completed arrangements for the new website for the Branch under www.medwaynarpo.org as previous site. It is hoped that this site will prove helpful to members. I would like to thank Mr Stuart Downs for his tireless work on the previous website and wish him and his wife Margaret a long overdue stress free retirement in the future.

Winter appears to have returned with a vengeance with more bad weather on the way in the coming days and weeks.  The pension increase this year is some 3% and although this is not great it will hopefully go some way to improving pensioners income. Unfortunately local Authorities all appear to want to increase rates by almost twice the rate of inflation and how they expect pensioners and people on low incomes to avoid this rise is beyond me. With everything we buy increasing in price more and more people will be on or below the poverty line.

Like all of you I am fed up listening to politicians debating Brexit and how it would, might or could affect us in the future when the simple answer is nobody actually knows until it happens so just come to an agreement and get it over and done with.

Once again the Branch widows have all received the £50 Christmas Gift as agreed with the Branch members and it is hoped that the same arrangement will continue in the future.

Subscriptions have risen by 3% to £20.64 per annum and the precept pyable to NARPO HQ is 40% of this amount which is £8.26 per member.  Widows of this Branch pay no subscriptions as agreed at previous Meetings.

The Branch still have no member who has volunteered to become Vice Chairman of the Branch and would ask all members to give some serious consideration to taking up this post and any person interested should contact me to obtain details on the role.

All Branch correspondence and all financial matters have been fully dealt with and no matters are outstanding. 

You may recall that the Chairman and I attended the 100th Birthday of Miss Violet Rixson along with Medway Police in 2016 sadly Miss Rixson passed away aged 101 and we attended her Funeral on behalf of the Branch. Medway Police also sent a representative to the Funeral. Miss Rixson worked for Kent Police for 34 years in a civilian role.

At the winter Meeting it was discussed that the Branch should reduce to two meetings a year Spring and Summer and this was put off until this meeting when the matter will again be discussed.  It was the view at the Spring Meeting that the cost and need for three meetings was not sustainable.

Obituaries

Former PC2164 Durley Huckle                      14/11/17          No service history

Former Ch/Supt3125 Ramon Wilkinson         23/10/17          Last served FHQ

Former Insp4662 Malcolm Herwin                 4/11/17            No service history

Former Supt2111 Earl Spencer                     11/12/17          Last served East Kent

Former PC4935 Neville Ryton                       14/12/17          Last served Traffic

Former PC2795 Donald Wright                      17/12/17          Last served Fokestone

Former DC3574 Richard Harlow                    1/1/18              Last served Dover Ports

Former Sgt2210 Edgar Williams                    4/1/18              Last served Sittingbourne

Former Supt1625 Gerald Seeney                  11/2/18            Last served FHQ

Former Ch/Insp3383 Alan Parker                  15/2/18            Last served FHQ

Former Insp3658 Jeffrey Foxley                    16/2/18            Last served FHQ

Members Change of Details

Should any member change address or other details then please notify the Secretary in order that paperwork arrives at correct site with correct details. Also update with telephone numbers and email details if member has computer in order that costs can be kept to a minimum.

Welfare & Benevolent Fund

The Branch run a welfare section and any member with any problems should contact the Secretary for advice etc.  All conversations and dealings are dealt with in the strictest confidence. Welfare representatives are Bruce Goldfarb and Terry Lynch.

Police Dependents Trust Required Help

The Police Dependants’ Trust was formed by the public over fifty years ago with a clear mission: to provide a lifeline to officers injured on duty and to take care of loved ones left behind when killed on duty.

71% of those who have left the police service because of an injury on duty said they were still receiving ongoing support. The Police Dependants’ Trust exists to aid those seriously injured due to the hazards of police work and we need volunteers to help us raise awareness of how we can help and provide a local, personalised service to those in need.

We currently have five Ambassadors in Kent but we need more. You could be our local representatives; raising awareness about the Trust by conducting presentations, holding stands and helping us reach more officers affected by injury.

We also need to recruit for a new role. Support volunteers will make contact and visit those registered with us, helping them apply for grants, being a listening ear and signposting to other organisations.

Full training and support will be provided for and once inducted volunteering times will be flexible ranging from 2 – 8 hours a month. If you are interested please contact us at Volunteer@PDTrust.org or check out our website: https://www.pdtrust.org/support-us/volunteer/ambassador/ 

Closing date for applications is 30th April 2018

Branch Website

Those members that have access to the Branch website at www.medwaynarpo.org are reminded to check the site regularly for updates.  Should any member wish to advertise items for sale etc on this website then please contact the Secretary. There is no charge for advertising.  It is also advised that members check the main NARPO website as many offers and other information is available there. All areas on the new website can be gained by a simple click on the relevant item.

Committee Member

Chairman  - Mr Terry Lynch

Vice Chairman - Vacant

Secretary/Treasurer - Mr Bruce Goldfarb

Committee Members

Mr Christopher Mayes  

Mr Jim Rayment  

Mr Maurice Baggott  

Mr Frank Gallagher 

All members have stated they wished to continue serving.  Should any member wish to put themselves up for election please inform Secretary in advance of meeting.

Conference

This Branch has historically not sent any delegates to Annual Conference but should anyone wish to attend then they should contact the Secretary. Conference will be held on Friday 13th September 2013 at York Racecourse, York. If no responses received in the next few weeks the Secretary will again send a NIL response to NARPO HQ.

As discussed at previous Meetings the Secretary considered that Conferences in general where a waste of members’ money that could be used more effectively for the welfare and other needs of members.  We already have an Annual No 5 Region Meeting where all topics are discussed and at the last Meeting it was stated by several other Branches that they thought the Conference was a waste of time as nothing of great importance was discussed.  The Secretary also noted that many Branches sent in excess of 35 husband and wife couples to Conference the cost to Branches of which is not known but the Secretary is mindful that the Branch finances are to be used for the good of the Branch and does not see attending Conference as a good use of resources. It is clearly a matter for Branches on who they send to Conference and how they use the Branch Funds.

The Secretary would ask that any member who wishes the Chairman and him or any other officer or member of the Branch to attend Conference to contact the Secretary direct.  The Secretary is of the view that having attended many Police Federation Conferences that many in attendance treat it as a jolly and very little is ever decided and any contentious issues are usually remitted by the platform. 

Notification of Business

Should any member have any item that they wish to raise at this meeting they should notify the Secretary in order that the matter can be researched and discussed in detail.

Next Meeting

The Winter Meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Tuesday 13th November 2018 at the Avenue Theatre, Avenue of Remembrance, Sittingbourne.

Bruce T. Goldfarb

Secretary Medway & District Branch NARPO