Dear Sir,
It was great to see that Neville Parade Community Centre was going to continue with the amalgamation with the Cubby but I think some serious questions need to be answered.
Was there a Special Public Meeting properly advertised and called with minutes taken, available for scrutiny regarding the amalgamation of the two existing registered charities i.e. Friends of Senior Citizens Registered in 2002 and Great Aycliffe Old Peoples Welfare Committee registered in 1970.
There are set procedures to be put in place regarding bank accounts asset transfer and equipment etc for both charities.
What is happening to the transfer of ownership of the Neville Parade building and who owns it now?
Neville Parade Over 60’s Club and Community Centre was deregistered in 2005.
In 2008 the Sedgefield LIP Funding awarded in the region of £48,000.00 in three separate “tranches” to Friends of Senior Citizens. This has never been shown in the accounts
Has all this been spent and is there evidence of the expenditure?
Does Friends of Senior Citizens have two bank accounts?
There is only one trustee listed for Friends of Senior Citizens which is illegal for a charity. This point has been raised to GAMP on several occasions but an answer has never been given.
The Cubby is a trading name not a charity. Have the accounts of The Cubby been presented to verify the capability of this group taking over this project.
In the early part of 2008 “The Cubby collected money for “The Kool Red Bus” at its market charity stall.
Where was this money banked and is it still available because on 3rd March 2008 a letter was sent to the group telling them that the bus had been disposed of and that any money received would have expected to be handed in at the end of the collection period. Many remarked on how well this collection was going but to date no money has been received.Concerned
Name and address supplied

 

Dear Sir
May I respond to the anonymous letter concerning The Cubby and Neville Community Centre. The public will be aware that “The Cubby” which has occupied the site on Greenwell Road since 1978 was last year given notice to quit by Durham County Council.  This notice expires on the 10 October and no alternative site has been found within the town centre area for The Cubby to move too. Its closure looked inevitable. “The Cubby” is the trading name of Great Aycliffe Old Peoples Welfare Committee which was formed in the 1960’s and became a registered charity, number 504398, on the 4 August 1975.
In the Newton News for week ending 24 July Peter Beaty announced he was being forced to retire from managing the Neville Community Centre on Doctors orders and he appealed for someone to take on that role. Councillor William (Bill) Blenkinsopp answered that call and was invited to attend a committee meeting of the Neville Community Centre on Saturday 15 August to be considered for the role of Chairman of the Centre. He was accompanied to that meeting by myself, David Lewis (Trustee and Treasurer of The Cubby).
Following discussion it was agreed that Peter Beaty would resign immediately as Chairman and Bill was duly elected along with Margaret Robson as the new Treasurer, Anne Hardy as the new Secretary and myself as a new committee member.  A new bank mandate has been completed and submitted to the bank with the account to be operated by any two of the three new signatories. The account has been operated solely by Peter Beaty.  I am only aware of The Friends of Senior Citizens having one bank account.
I was concerned that the Friends of Senior Citizens charity only had one trustee and the new Treasurer, Secretary and their husbands and myself asked as an interim measure for our names to be submitted to the Charity Commission as new Trustees of Friends of Senior Citizens. The Cubby will close its doors on Saturday 5 September and operate its provision of food and drink as a drop-in centre from Neville Community Centre from Monday 7 September. Minutes were taken for that meeting and are available for inspection.
With regard to the Great Aycliffe Old Peoples Welfare Committee charity and The Friends of Senior Citizens charity coming together this was discussed as a future aim but will not take place until the ownership of the building has been clearly identified by solicitors and a public meeting called.
With regard to the comment made that The Friends of Senior Citizens charity is being operated illegally as it only has one named Trustee; why have GAMP not raised this matter with The Charity Commission if concern has been raised on several occasions? The writer of the anonymous letter is obviously very familiar with the Friends of Senior Citizens charity why has he/she not raised the matter with The Charity Commission if concerned?
With regard to the 2008 funding in the region of £48000 I have only seen statements of income and expenditure for the last three years and cannot answer that question. If the writer knows that the £48000 has never shown in the accounts why has he/she not raised the matter before now?
The statement of Income and Expenditure for the year ended 28 February 2015 has not yet been finalised and the accounts are being closely scrutinised.
The Cubby’s Income and Expenditure totals for the last five years are available for anyone to see on the Charity Commission website and I am happy to supply the writer with a copy of the latest accounts to 31 March 2015. The Cubby’s accounts are healthy and as someone who has been a Treasurer of various organisations over the last 35 years I am more than capable of bringing guidance to the financial running of the Neville Community Centre.
With regard to The Cubby collecting money for “The Kool Red Bus” in 2008; neither, Bill Blenkinsopp or myself were involved with The Cubby at that time. Why has the writer waited 7 years to raise questions about the money that was apparently raised? If the writer cares to contact me my phone number is 319196 and I will be happy to look back through historical records to try and answer the points raised.
David G Lewis
Trustee & Treasurer
Great Aycliffe Old Peoples Welfare Committee
Committee member, Neville Community Centre.