FRIENDS OF SHANKLIN THEATRE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2024
MONDAY 20th MAY 2024 AT 7.30 PM
- Welcome and Apologies
Vic Farrow, Interim Chair of FOST welcomed everyone, 45 members in attendance.
There were over 90 members’ apologies.
- Minutes of 2023 AGM
The minutes of the 2023 Annual General Meeting were agreed as a true copy and duly signed.
3 Annual FOST Report – Vic Farrow, Interim Chair
Those of you who attended last year’s AGM may recall that Michael Beston retired from the role as Chairman, although continuing as a committee member. It was intended that Lionel Whitehead would take over. Unfortunately, for personal reasons, within weeks Lionel relinquished the position and I took over as Chairman of the Friends on an interim basis.
I was pleased to say that the other members of the committee initially remained in their roles. Subsequently Phil Kelly, whilst retaining his role as Health and Safety Officer, retired from the committee. Similarly, with a change in direction regarding souvenirs etc, there was no longer a committee role for Veronica Bingham. However, after an improvement in her health will, as and when required, due to her qualifications, be called upon when FOST has a specific occasion where an attendance by children is involved, and I thank her for her past contribution.
I would like to take this opportunity of thanking all those who have been involved in the committee during my tenure, including Paul Harris, who was co-0ptedonto the committee and Tony Needham, who joined the committee because of his general involvement in the theatre, particularly with Front of House duties and as part of the theatre tour team. The support of everybody has been essential in the continued smooth running of FOST.
I am delighted to say that I am proposing Paul Harris to succeed me as Chairman and Michael Beston will second this proposal, I hope that when we come to this point in the agenda you will support this proposal. I mention now some of the activities that have taken place during the previous 12 months.
Obviously, Volunteers are the life blood of Shanklin Theatre and back in September Suzie Thurgood as Volunteer Liaison Officer organised a Volunteer Fair which was most successful, and I am sure will be repeated at some stage.
Volunteer training has continued, as fire and emergency evacuation sessions. Volunteers and Patrons were again recognised by thank you evenings.
Coffee, Cake, and Chat mornings have continued successfully with guest speakers now a regular occurrence. On one occasion it allowed us the opportunity to acknowledge Cilla Morris’s 98th birthday and her continued commitment to working at the theatre.
FOST internal and external events continued throughout the year, including attendance at summer fairs, fetes, and carnivals by a dedicated team of volunteers. In addition, thanks are due to Jacqui Robertson and Heather Whitchurch for organising several walks as part of the Isle of Wight Walking Festival which raised funds for the theatre.
Jacqui has also been instrumental in organising the extremely successful theatre tours, which are now a regular part of our itinerary, involving not only Tony, as mentioned before, but also Viv Howell.
Additionally, sales also come from Ebay managed by Des Wiltshire.
On the subject of raising funds FOST is, of course, the fundraising arm for the theatre. The Prize Draw team, led by Linda Stoneham, is the main contributor of funds to an exceptional degree and my thanks go out to them all. Without our funds we would not be able to continue to upgrade the theatre in the way that I hope you will have seen. In the last year, additional ladies’ toilet facilities were completed, and FOST contributed to this, as well as items throughout the year, such as boom headsets, replacement two- way radios and stage lighting. Another important FOST contribution was, from a safety point of view, the additional railing that is going to be installed on the front steps. In the next year, considerable additional funds will be needed for our new ticketing and website system as we continue with replacing windows and installing a new lighting console which is some 25 years old and was second hand at the time! On this occasion, the Board will be funding a major part of this new purchase, but this could not be made without the help of FOST.
As regards future funding, there is never a shortage of items required. The theatre would very much like to replace the signage at the front and improve the canopy.
As I think you all know Chris and Rebecca retired earlier this month and we have been delighted to acquire the services of Graham Broadbent and Ben Dabell in their place and I know that you will all wish them well and I can assure you that they have slotted well into their respective roles during the transition period.
Finally, I would like to reiterate my thanks to all FOST members for their continued support of the theatre and also thank the committee for the excellent help they have given me personally.
Before we continue with the Agenda, I would like to introduce Chris Quirk – Chairman of Shanklin Theare and Community Trust. As you are aware FOST and Theatre are under the umbrella of the Trust as is the Shanklin Performing Arts Centre (SPAC) and Chris would like to take this opportunity to provide you all here tonight with a brief update on the exciting latest update on the old library site.
4 Finance Report – Peter Frankling
The Bank balance stands at a very healthy £30,608.16. It is prudent to put aside money to enable us to assist the theatre in the replacement of certain important items. These include additional handrails at the front of the and a new ticketing system that is more user friendly. To this end we have ‘ring fenced’ £10,000. Even after this we still have some £20,000 available for projects which are always arriving as to be expected with a building this old, not to mention keeping up to date with advances in technology in what is a fast-moving segment of our industry.
Receipts: Total £44,244 up by £11,068
Membership subscriptions: £11,094 up by £1,000
Prize draw income £22,618 up by £5,034
Donations, incl. walks £1,957 up by £684
Merchandise £1,751 up by £1281
E-BAY SALES £957
Theatre tours £1,130
Miscellaneous Income £1858
£1350 raised from coffee cake and chat,
also, the garden party, curry evening, general catering, and raffles
Expenditure: overall expenditure £38,947 which is significantly up on last year by £12,713
Expenditure can be broken down into two major areas:
Theatre expenditure: Total £25,442 This included Technical requirements £15,442, replacement of certain stage lights this was a major expense purchasing CHAUVET STAGE LIGHTS, the technology behind these is using LED lighting which is cost saving and long lasting. (The cost for this was £11,208). Another major item was a contribution towards the conversion of unused space into the installation of new Ladies’ toilets of £10,000.
FOST expenditure: Printing, stage write & history (including draw ticket printing) ££1,562 Postage £615 Insurance £715 Prize draw winners £5,000 Fairs and carnivals & entry fees £155 Catering £583 Training £1026
Peninsular human resources £575
Gardening £432
Members voucher draw £360
Miscellaneous expenditure £2,596
(includes garden party & raffle, merchandise for re-sale)
Total of major FOST items £13,462
Auditing of the accounts Shanklin Theatre and Community Trust assume responsibility for inspecting and scrutinising the FOST accounts. These are now included with their accounts for auditing by Accountants Bright Brown
5 FOST Membership – Christine McCarthy It’s been another successful year for the Friends of Shanklin Theatre. Many people have renewed their Membership this year. We currently have 747 active FOST Members which shows how much people value the theatre and commit to support. To date we’ve had 147 new members join FOST since May 2023. We have 127 Patrons and 8 Corporate Members. Our Membership mainly comes from people living on the Island, but we also have several members living on the mainland who support us which really is a credit to how successful the theatre is. Renewing your FOST Membership. If you have provided an email address to FOST, you will get an email enclosing your Membership Card. Membership Cards will only be sent through the post in the absence of an email address. The same process applies to new members joining FOST. I would like to thank all FOST members, past and present for their continued support of Shanklin theatre and for making Shanklin theatre such an important part of the local and the wider community. Finally, I would also like to thank the Box Office staff for processing the FOST Membership fees which is much appreciated.
6 Proposed Amendments to FOST Documents
Changes to the Constitution:
- General Meetings, 11.3.1 the word ‘meeting’ to be added after ‘date and venue of the’, all agreed. Also11.4.1 the word ‘meeting’ to be added after ‘of the current membership who are present at the’
Changes to Code of Conduct for Volunteers:
FRIENDS OF SHANKLIN THEATRE CODE OF CONDUCT FOR VOLUNTEERS All staff and volunteers aim to create an environment where all who access the activities and performances have a positive and enjoyable experience. The Friends of Shanklin Theatre are committed to a code of good practice with regards to the relationship between its volunteers, paid members of staff, visitors, and performers.
When becoming a volunteer, all members shall commit themselves to this Code of Conduct. Various Health & Safety training sessions and courses are provided free of charge, which we encourage all volunteers to attend. However, it is mandatory that all volunteers attend at least one Fire and Emergency Evacuation training session within a 12-month period. These training sessions ensure the safety and security of our audiences, performers, and volunteers. It also fulfils our duty of care and legal responsibilities with regard to current legislation guidelines and the Theatre’s health and safety procedures. Failure to attend at least one session in a 12-month period could result in the volunteer being excluded from volunteering within the Theatre until they have attended an evacuation training evening. The Theatre and Stage Management have overall responsibility for the safe running of the Theatre. Therefore, it is important for volunteers to respond positively to their requests.
We request that volunteers:
- Treat everyone with respect and dignity
- Respect and be sensitive to individuals’ beliefs/faith/religion
- Respect and be sensitive to individuals’ sexuality/gender/age
- Respect and be sensitive to individuals with special and/or additional needs
- Follow safety and security guidelines
- Wear volunteer badges/lanyards at all times when present in the Theatre for security and identity purposes
- Ensure that relevant procedures have been read and are followed i.e. Box Office/Ushers/Green Room
- Not consume alcohol whilst on duty. Arrive for duty at the Theatre free from the effects of alcohol and drugs
- Must sign in when arriving at the Theatre and sign out when leaving
- Make every effort to attend mandatory training sessions and inform the Volunteer Liaison Officer if you are unable to attend
- Support your team colleagues
- Be punctual
- Inform your team leader if you are unable to attend
- Represent the Theatre
- Be polite, welcoming, and helpful to the public and to fellow volunteers
- Not use bad language
- Respect the performers and comment positively about the performances when on duty
- Refrain from the use of offensive emails, insults, tweets, or comments on social media networking sites
- Dress appropriately for your role. All volunteers working a show shift to follow the agreed dress code of smart black trousers/skirts and white shirts/blouses and black jackets/jumpers/cardigans. It is highly recommended that sensible black closed toe footwear is worn, and during hot weather a black/dark colour sturdy walking sandals
We welcome all volunteers to contribute ideas in order to improve the Theatre and urge volunteers to adhere to the channels of communication in place when doing so. Should any volunteer have a concern, they must, in the first instance, consult with their appropriate Team Leader.
Should the volunteer feel the concern has not been resolved, the volunteer then has the opportunity to raise the issue with the Chairman of FOST ([email protected]) or Volunteer Liaison Officer ([email protected]). If the Chairman or Volunteer Liaison Officer of FOST are unable to resolve the concern, he/she will refer the matter to the Managing Director of the Theatre. In such cases, where the concern may have arisen with the Team Leader, the volunteer should communicate directly with the Chairman or Volunteer Liaison Officer of FOST. All these matters must be treated confidentially. The Constitution of the Friends of Shanklin Theatre is committed to an annual review of this Code of Conduct. By signing this document, you agree to adhere to this Code of Conduct. I agree to follow the FOST Code of Conduct for Volunteers and I am a paid-up member of FOST
Full Name:…………………………………………………
Signed:……………………………………………………..
Date:………………………………………………………
This document reviewed – February 2024
- Ratification of the Executive FOST Committee for 2022 -2023
FOST Committee Members names and Positions
- Chairman – Paul Harris
- Support and Policy – Mike Beston
- Treasurer – Peter Frankling
- Volunteers Liaison – Suzie Thurgood
- Membership – Chrisine McCarthy
- Promotions – Jacqui Robertson
- Secretary -Liz Hinkes
- Volunteers and Training – Tony Needham
- Managing Director of Shanklin Theatre – David Kast
Thanks go to all Volunteers in all departments for their help this last very busy year. Thank you to FOST for all its help and support over the last year. They have bought various items of equipment for the Theatre. A terrific job has been done by the Prize Draw team by selling tickets. Terry and Steve who are members of the Board have been responsible for collating funds and approaching various organisations to fund the creation of ladies’ toilets. Alongside this the significant donation from FOST has helped complete the project. Other funds have been donated from Shanklin Rotary, Vectis Acapela, the Theatre Trust, Daisy Rich, and Roger State. In the coming weeks we will be switching to the new Ticketing system and website. This is a major step for the Theatre providing us with a range of additional benefits, including better marketing opportunities to sell shows. For our audiences, the majority these days who book tickets via their mobile phone, an easier and clearer booking experience. Thanks to Rob Robertson for leading the team developing this, which includes Matt Day, Roger Coleman, Louise Bond, and Martyn Armitage for their work on the system. The new system will see the introduction of ticket scanning as each new ticket issued will have a QR code. Roger who looks after our booking’s states that the past 12 months have seen a significant increase in show bookings to include David Suchet, Fred Dinenage and later this year Will Young. Al Murray with sell out shows will return in 2025. Agents are booking dates well into 2026. An official announcement soon sees a top comedian heading to Shanklin in September 2025 for the first time. The theatre is serving the community with performances from local groups and companies Spotlight, Savoyards, Island Dance, Curtain Call Creative and First Act. Since Covid ticket prices nationally have been rising and as with most theatres we now have a booking fee on all shows, £1 on community shows and £2 on touring shows. This helps us invest into the theatre with our equipment and facilities etc.
Vic Farrow is standing down as Chair of the Theatre Board, the role still needs to be filled and Vic will continue to support the theatre, but deserving of a bit of a step back, bearing in mind his joint chairing of FOST and the Theare Board for much of the last year.
Penny and the Bar team have broken the £2,000 barrier, a tremendous result and appropriately during the AL Murray Pub landlord show.
Building wise, for the theatre steps, the hope is to be able to install the additional railing soon to help aid safety for those exiting the theatre, especially for busy shows such as Beyond the West End. Neil Reader, maintenance team member is currently developing plans for replacing a number of the theatre windows, the majority of which are metal framed and suffering from rust. Chris and Rebecca retired early May after many years at the theatre. Many people were here when the theatre made a presentation to them. They are enjoying a well-earned break touring in Scotland. Graham Broadbent, Theatre Technical Manager and Ben Dabell, Stage Manager have now taken up their places and were welcomed on stage for all to meet them. Graham has extensive theatre experience and Ben has worked with Chris and Rebecca on stage for a number of years.
Thanks to all Volunteers and all the best for the year ahead.
Vic Farrow thanked all for coming
There being no further business the AGM closed at 8.05 pm