MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL TRUSTEE MEETING
HELD ON 15TH DECEMBER 2025
IN THE COMMITTEE ROOM OF THE LANGHAM COMMUNITY CENTRE

Present: Alan Cadman, Pete Freeman, Cath Hine, Jules Constable, Dawn McGlone, Raynor Sumner, Shannon Barnes, Bob Schofield, Rob Clark, Stuart Rudge, Denise Hobday, Charlotte Parker, David Druitt, Virginia Moss.

Apologies: Martin Bottwood, Elizabeth Schofield.

Before the meeting commenced, Cath explained that both she and Pete had called the meeting asking for the help, ideas and opinions of the trustees. Also to bring them up to date with current situations.
Also, at the outset of the meeting, the Chairman received an email from the Premises Manager, which was also copied to the Business Manager. In this communication, the Premises Manager stated her intention to return to work the following day.
Later, after discussion by the committee, a response was sent to the Premises Manager regarding her intention to return to work. The reply stated that her proposed immediate return could not be authorised at that time. It was explained that, before any return to work could proceed, both a formal return to work note and a return to work interview would be required. Consequently, the action she proposed was not permitted until these steps had been completed.

From the Chair: Alan acknowledged that he was back in the chair temporarily and would remain until a replacement is found but would not be available from 12th January for six to eight weeks or more due to various operations. An advert has been placed to find a new Chairperson.

Treasurers Report: Report attached.
Tonight’s report is going to be a little different, some thoughts for discussion.
The hours for the two new members of staff, Jules and Dawn, have been grossly underestimated, a fact that fallen on deaf ears. I don’t think it’s case of can we afford them more a case we can’t not. I asked Dawn to produce a report listing her days work, which she did for three days, to get a flavour of her day to day activities and justify the hours spent, originally thought to be 18, but in fact often 50.
We then have the issue with Cheryl, her lack of willingness to fully embrace the new members of staff. So much so, that we are now faced with trying to remedy the situation with mediation courtesy of the RCCE. I took on the role of Treasurer, I didn’t expect to become nor want to be an HR expert. I appreciate the Chairmans position has been a major issue I resolving the problem.
At this moment in time, it would take much more for me to resign.

In recent months, the community centre has experienced significant building maintenance activity, resulting in considerable expenses. The maintenance costs have amounted to approximately £6,000, which has notably affected the centre’s financial position.
Between April and November, the total expenditure reached £52,000, whereas the income for the same period was only £45,000. It is important to note that these figures do not account for the £11,000 electricity bill, as this was a one-off payment and has been excluded to prevent distortion of the regular income and expenditure data. It was also noted that further maintenance expenditure should be minimal apart from the usual annual maintenance contracts.
To manage cash flow during this period, a sum of £13,850 was withdrawn from the Saver account across several transactions, with £6,010 subsequently returned to the account.
The issue of affordability has arisen in relation to the hours worked by the Booking Clerks. This matter has been brought up for consideration and discussion, given its impact on the centre’s financial management.
The Treasurer provided an update on the centre’s income trends, noting that revenue has been showing a positive trajectory. Currently, monthly income has increased from approximately £4,000 to £5,000, reflecting an encouraging improvement over two-thirds of the year.
Looking ahead, further financial support is anticipated through planned rent increases from both the shop and the preschool tenants. In addition, the centre’s hire rates are also set to rise, which should contribute to greater overall income and help address concerns surrounding affordability.
Rob Clark raised a question regarding the process for competitive tendering for maintenance work at the community centre. In response, Jules provided clarification on the recent maintenance activities and the approach taken thus far.
The maintenance costs incurred were notably high, primarily because a substantial number of jobs had accumulated over time and had not been addressed previously. To resolve these outstanding tasks, the centre continued to engage the contractors who had been preferred in the past. As a result, most of the required maintenance jobs have now been completed, ensuring that the centre is up to date in terms of necessary repairs and upkeep.
Jules further noted that, moving forward, the centre will still be subject to regular annual checks to maintain the safety and functionality of the premises. In addition, the five-year electrical inspection (EIRC) is scheduled to be conducted in January. For this test, the centre will need to close for two days to allow the work to be carried out safely and thoroughly.
To better manage costs and promote fairness in contractor selection, Jules confirmed that future maintenance jobs will be put out to competitive tender. This change in process aims to keep expenses down while ensuring that all work meets required standards.

Secretary Report: Attached
Report on the Need for Fair Discussion Regarding Staff Treatment and Working Hours
Addressing Concerns About the Business Manager and Bookings Clerk
Introduction
First of all I’d like to thank you all for attending tonight and would say what a sad situation it is when team work, not only between the employees but also the Admin committee becomes untenable.
I would like to highlight my ongoing concerns regarding the treatment of the business manager and the allocation of working hours for the bookings clerk.
For months, discussions about both their contracts and the bookings clerk's hours have stalled. Efforts to resolve these issues are constantly hindered by one person who at times, refuses to take into account the possibility that he may be misled or listen to others points of view. The hours permitted for the bookings clerk have been a subject of contention, with suggestions from that person that the current hours claimed are not needed although he obviously has no idea about what she actually does. Dawn even agreed to supply a detailed time sheet for three days but unfortunately, he refused to believe it. Bearing in mind that there are three people in that team but only Jules and Dawns contracts are ever discussed and the bookings clerk is the only person whose hours are in question. I would like to know why the contract for the Premises manager has never been signed by her from what I can find and why her hours and pay is not scrutinised in the same depth as the other two ladies.
I have real concerns about whether the business manager is being treated fairly, especially with regard to workload, recognition, and the level of support she is receiving. This issue has become particularly pronounced during the period while the Premises Manager has been off sick. Also, it is becoming apparent to me that there is a recurring pattern with regard to our employees. According to reports on file, some former employees have also asked for support and have found their requests ignored or brushed under the carpet. This lack of adequate support contributes to an environment where staff feel undervalued or disregarded, which obviously has a negative impact on morale.
In my opinion the final decision regarding both the business manager’s treatment and the bookings clerk’s hours should be made collectively by the trustees
Lastly, there remains the issue of former committee members and staff who, despite no longer holding official positions, continue to express their negative opinions on current matters. This is really unhelpful to those of us who are trying our best to move the centre forward.
I’m happy to expand on any of the points I have raised.
Thank you.
Raynor concurred with the report through her own experience.
Rob commented that for any meeting taking place there should be either the chairman, treasurer or secretary included.

Business Manager Report: Attached
Business Managers Report for Special Trustees Meeting - 15th December 2025
I have found this report extremely difficult to write but the fact that Pete saw the situation here at the LCC as untenable and choose to do something about it, I am very grateful for!
Obviously, since the meeting was called the Premises Manager has been on sick leave, which leaves us in an even more difficult situation.
Back on the 17th October, I had a meeting with the Premises manager. I asked some direct questions, as there had been some obvious tensions during the week. This meeting was very short and the Premises Manager told me everything was OK. The same day I was informed that a comment had been made the previous day, that indicated that the Premises Manager was very unhappy with the way I was working and it seemed to indicate that she had felt like she had been in this position before. This has been flatly denied but obviously something was said for it to be commented on.
From the very first Admin Meeting I attended and submitted an additional report regarding the difficulties we had had to overcome until today's meeting, nothing has been addressed.
The lack of communication, the lack of information, the erratic working patterns and the unaccountability. The silly things that happen, that make our lives difficult.
The interference from non committee members and the possible breach of GDPR, along with a total disregard for employment law, must be dealt with in order for us to move forward.
Dawn and myself have still not received a contract and have been scrutinised for the hours and times that we work, especially Dawn, although with the support of Pete, her hours are being looked at again. We have informally been told what the Admin working group will offer us but this has not been received in writing and has not been discussed or agreed.
We are still waiting for mediation to help accommodate these issues but David Druitt has been told by the RCCE that this cannot go ahead whilst the Premises Manager is still on sick leave. Liz did try to help to accommodate this but when I requested that I had a representative present, this was not possible. How can I meet her needs, if I am unable to talk directly to her, we are at stale mate. If we cannot have mediation until the new year, in my opinion the Premises Manager should not return before then, because she can not return and carry on as normal as things have changed and in my opinion for the better for the LCC. I am happy to make reasonable adjustments in order for the Premises Manager to feel comfortable in her working environment and in the development and progress of the LCC but with the lack of trust this is difficult.
I would personally like to thank those who have volunteered and helped both Dawn and myself keep the centre open during this time, as we would not have been able to do this without them.
Together with all their work in the working party as well. Deep cleaning the kitchen, Cleaning, weeding and edging the patio and surrounding areas. Cleaning the balcony area including the white railings. So thank you to Ginny, Pete, Cath, Shannon, Raynor and Gill for you support.
As no one else has mentioned it I would also like to thank my partner Xxxxx, who stepped in at very short notice to cover the caretaker role.. He has worked on average about 7-8 hours per week, keeping the centre clean and tidy and ensuring the daily checks are completed. Xxx xx xxx xxxxxxxxx xx xxxxxxxxxx he will not be continuing after the 23rd December, so it maybe necessary to employ another temporary caretaker until these issues are sorted.
Before I close my report I would like to make 2 proposals.
The first is more of an ask and that is that I start a rota for volunteers that are happy to assist with M&Gs. This has worked well but we could do with a few more volunteers. This would mean that one volunteer was responsible for a weekends M&Gs. Full training can be given and the hirers now receive instructions and a check list to close and lock the premises at the end of their event. If we have a few willing people it will mean that you would only be required maybe once in 5 or 6 weeks. I will be included in the rota and believe this could be a great saving to the LCC.
The second is that we continue to add the cost of putting the chairs and tables out for the Bridge Club and Crafty Ladies to their invoices. This has worked very well over the last 6 weeks and in the light of transparency for the LCC, I would like to propose that this continues.
I hope that this report has given you some insight in to how difficult our positions have been. There has been many times when I have wondered if it is worth carrying on but I have because I believe we can work together and make a difference to the community.
I have felt hurt, frustrated, undervalued and unappreciated but I still want to continue because I feel that if I give in, time will just keep repeating itself and you will be in this situation again and again, unless you make some decisions to save your community centre.
Thank you for listening.

Going forward by Business Manager:
Like the centre to be run as a professional business and people to realise that things have changed and will continue to do so.
Contracts that reflect the LCC values of equality and protection for the employees but also to reflect the jobs that were advertised. No more discrimination and equality that is being shown between the employees at the present time.
Continued support from the volunteers as this builds the community and helps with the rising costs.
Work without criticism and within a happy environment.
When the premises manager returns a formal meeting to take place before any of her duties are resumed and should involve two people including the chairman and a trustee from outside the admin committee to ensure transparency. We have a duty of care for the premises manager and must ensure that any issues are dealt with in an appropriate manner. Premises Manager should return under a phased return maybe only dealing with caretaker duties that now has a schedule, and which is accountable to the LCC and does not include any public engagement at this time. If there are any issues which affect her work, we should be told so that we can adjust accordingly. If the Premises Manager still has a grievance with the Business Manager or Bookings Clerk, these should go through the grievance policy before she returns to work. This again should be led by the chairman and one other trustee outside the admin group.

Bookings Clerk Report: Attached
Bookings and Marketing Clerk report – Special Trustees Meeting 15th December
Good Evening,
I’ve now been in post since 7th July and what a 5 months it has been – a roller coaster would be quite an accurate description right now.
I was drawn to the advert for this role as one thing stood out – ‘flexible hours’. Xx x xxxx xxx xxx xxxx x xxxxx xxxxxx, xxxxxxxx xxxx xx xxxxxx x xxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxxx I needed a workplace that were true to their word. I made sure I clarified the ‘flexible’ thing with the Trustees who I met twice before my appointment and I was assured it was predominantly a work from home role with the minimal ad hoc times I’d need to come to the Centre on evenings or weekends for either meetings or maybe to meet hirers which was fine with me xx xxxx xx xx xxxxxxx xxx xxxx xx xxxx xxxxx xxx xxxxxxxx. I was full of optimism, hope and positivity that I had found something that I could really make a difference to and make the role my own whilst still being present for my family and xxxxxxx xxxxx xx xxxxxx.
After a couple of brief training sessions on the booking system, reality kicked in about what I had undertaken. I was shocked there was no shared central system for any documents, being told that stuff had just been deleted when others left. Limited information was actually written down anywhere -most of it was just in people’s heads - that is if they volunteered it to us as many times things were not forthcoming or easy. On many occasions it was easier to just start from scratch.
It has taken me a long time to undo months of unanswered emails to hirers, unpaid invoices, and implement a ‘clean booking system’ all adding to me getting to grips with the role itself.
Fast forward to mid October, it appears that the Premises Manager raised an issue with a Trustee about the way Jules was working, maybe myself too – to this day we’re not sure of the actual details and have never had an explanation.
I ask the question, why this was not raised formally via the Grievance Policy in support of both parties instead of a passing comment being made to a Trustee who didn’t do anything further? This is a very unfair and stressful position to put us into with no word of support or guidance since it happened.
To gain some control over the situation, Jules initiated whether mediation could happen for all parties to be able to move forward and this was agreed. However, the Premises Manager then went off sick and with the RCCE advising that the process could not start without all parties being at work, this has left us in limbo for weeks on end.
This has been a extremely upsetting and unsettling time for both Jules and I and apart from Cath and Pete, no support or thought to how we might be feeling seems to have been taken into consideration.
Due to the Premises Manager’s absence, as well as Jules and myself having to coordinate the running of the Centre on top of our own roles, for the last few weeks I have been under scrutiny about the amount of hours I am working to fulfil the Bookings Clerk role. Apparently it is suggested that I only need 25 hours a month to do my job where as the Premises Manager has 60 hours and the Business Manager 40 hours.
For transparency, over the last 3 months I have averaged 45 hours a month which equates to roughly 11 hours a week. For context, I do all emails, manage the booking system, liaise with all hirers, process new enquiries, invoicing, process deposit refunds, check hirers insurance, social media etc.
I was asked to complete a daily task list of my working hours so they could understand in more detail what I did in that time. Being totally honest, this hurt me a lot as I feel that I’ve had to constantly prove myself since I started. I completed this though as requested as I know that every minute I have claimed is an honest representation of what it takes to do the admin for the Centre. Without the admin function, this Centre would simply not run – there would be no hirers, no income and therefore no future.
I’m pleased to hear that the original suggestion of 25 hours will now be reviewed as it is now /apparent just what tasks are involved with the administration of the Centre.
As I said at the start, the last 5 months have been a rollar coaster and many times I’ve told myself that this is not worth the stress and the upset that I’ve been feeling lately.
However, I do not like to give up on things and when I took on this role I was determined to make a difference to the Centre and in turn to the wider community and whilst I have some fight left I will continue to do so.
To close, I need to acknowledge Jules and say thank you. You are the most supportive Manager I could ask for, my cheerleader from day one. Your support for me is always appreciated.
Thank you for listening.

Contracts & Job Descriptions:
As there had been prolonged discussion about these issues, it was agreed by the chairman and committee that the role of completing the contracts and job descriptions be taken on by Rob Clark as he has past experience on these issues. Raynor offered her help if necessary and Rob requested a meeting with Business Manager & Bookings Clerk which they agreed to.

Affordability & Accountability:
It was agreed that Rob would investigate the job descriptions and contracts which will also include the affordability when discussed with Pete.
With regards to the situation with the Premises Manager, it was agreed that she will need a fit note, a returning interview (interviewees to be agreed) and acceptance of mediation to be held on 6th January. There was the possibility that Danielle from RCCE would contact her before this but there was no confirmation of that. David Druitt suggested that the Premises Manager should probably not return until after the mediation takes place and that her job be covered until 23rd December when the centre will be closed until 2nd January. A question was raised about the Premises Managers pay and Jules would investigate this through Asset Management. The committee agreed with this action.
It was discussed what would happen if mediation does not take place. Cath offered to contact RCCE for advice. A suggestion was made to employ an HR company, but as this would be very expensive it was rejected for now.

Leases: 
Whybrow who did the original assessment in 2023 have been contacted and will return to take a look to check if the 18% increase is still valid. Alan will send the report to the shop when received. The solicitors have been notified to commence the leases with an additional drawing of the extra land taken on by the pre-school.

Hire Rates: 
It was agreed that the new hourly hire rates would be £22 for Main Hall, £19 for Club Room & £17 for Committee Room. There would be a 10% reduction if more than one room booked at a time.

Insurance: 
The insurance policy has been successfully reinstated and formally approved. The direct debit for the renewed policy will commence on 1st January, ensuring continuous coverage. The insurance continues to be provided by the same company as before. There is, however, an increase in the monthly premium of approximately £40. This rise is attributed to a recent government tax increase, which has been raised from 5% to 12% and affects the overall cost of the policy.
With regard to the recent break-in at the shop, the insurance claim has not yet been processed. It is anticipated that the claim amount will be in the region of £600, with the funds expected to be received in January or February 2026.
Additionally, four new clauses have been added to the policy. It should be noted that these amendments do not have any impact on our current operations or obligations.

Any Other Business: 
The committee learnt of a recent incident involving the Scouts, who expressed disappointment that the police had been contacted when they used the car park out of hours following a camp in the local woods. It was clarified that the decision to inform the police was made due to uncertainty at the time, as the CCTV footage only showed a group of people arriving and departing from cars, which appeared suspicious in context.
The Business Manager received commendation from the police for their vigilance in reporting the activity. The Scouts were asked to notify the committee in advance should they require use of the car park outside normal hours in the future, so as to prevent any similar misunderstandings.

Date of Next Meeting:
To facilitate the proposed mediation and ensure that the Trustees remain fully informed regarding progress, it was agreed that both the Admin Committee and the Trustee Committee will meet as a full Trustee Meeting. This meeting is scheduled to take place on 19th January at 7.30pm.