Several worthwhile changes had been made in the shop and café including comfy new chairs; an improved counter lay-out; a new refrigerated food preparation area; a new bake-off oven, and a hot fridge.
Sally paid tribute to the staff and volunteers for their hard work and for making the Stores such a welcoming place. She also thanked the wonderful ‘teen team’, now resplendent in their new kit, for their contribution. It was pleasure and a privilege to help so many young people take their first steps in the world of work.
The Stores had also been pleased to increase its level of support for community projects including the Village Gateways and the Garden Trail, and for the School with the sponsorship of a Specialist Art Teacher and provision of Hi Viz Jackets for the children.
Treasurer and Sub-Postmaster Mick Foote reported on changes at the Post Office. The new Chairman, coming in from Camelot, has committed to prioritising branches and reducing head office overheads. Fittleworth Post Office has already received a one-off payment of £900 and has been promised increased funding in the years ahead.
Mick went on to explain that this year’s turnover in the shop was similar to last year and appeared to have found its natural level, whereas the café business was still growing; almost 25% up on last year. Some of the details are extraordinary: Nearly 30,000 coffees sold; well over 5,000 bacon/sausage baps, and over 11,000 sandwiches.
Mick went on to highlight the role that the Stores plays in providing local employment and supporting local businesses. More than 40 local businesses are featured on our supplier map and in many cases the volume of sales is quite surprising: 24,000 eggs from EggCellent in Midhurst; 295 jars of honey from Fittleworth bees; 768 bags of logs/kindling from Tiny in Arundel; £55,000 in meat from SK Hutchings in Partridge Green; £38,000 worth of bread from Jengers in Billingshurst and another £16,000 from SØDT in Petworth; 1960 delicious cakes from Crosbie in Godalming; 638 Kilograms of coffee from Edge in Ford and 160 bottles of wine from nearby Stopham. And the Stores is proud to feature the fine work of local artists.
The full accounts for the year ending 31st August 2024 had been made available to all prior to the meeting. These were accepted and it was further agreed that it was not necessary to arrange a formal audit.
Three members of the Management Committee were standing down. Chris Hilton, Janet Gill and Yvonne Foote were thanked for their years of service. Richard Godfrey, Guy Bramley, Shelaigh Spreadbury-Troy and Paula Grigor had agreed to serve and were duly elected. The Committee for 2025 is:
- Sally Tanner: Chair
- David Crook: Vice Chair
- Guy Bramley: Secretary
- Mick Foote: Treasurer
- Richard Godfrey
- Shelaigh Spreadbury-Troy
- Paula Grigor
- Jeff Meadows (ad hoc)
There being no further business Ian Much proposed a vote of thanks and the meeting was adjourned.
