Tag: AGM

‘Circle of good’ making a difference for Leith-based community bank

2023 has been a year of exceptional growth for Castle Community Bank headquartered in Leith. At the AGM it was reported that total membership has grown to over 46,000 at September 2023.

Chief Executive Adrian Sargent said: “I’m proud of our team, and the growth that we have achieved this year. We remain focussed on our social purpose of supporting communities, whilst helping our members to maximise their savings and manage debt as effectively as possible.

At the same time, our overall current Trustpilot rating of 4.8/5 shows we are getting the day-to-day experience right for our membership.”

Castle Community Bank aims to achieve sustainability through scale and is on track to do so with total assets now equal to £283m, making them one of the largest credit unions in the UK. Deposits have grown to £247m in 2023 and the loan book has increased to £225m in 2023.

Castle Community Bank Chair, Stephen Pearson said: “I like to think of our operating model as a ‘circle of good’.

“Savers like our top quartile interest rates and easy online joining process. Many of them also like the fact that we make their money go further by funding our affordable loan products, enabling people who struggle to access loans from mainstream banks to borrow what they need at affordable rates.

“In turn, prudent, commercial success enables us to grow our community programmes in Edinburgh and beyond: including providing debt advice support, sustainable food bank funding and ethical investment for charities and churches.

“Castle Community Bank is leading the way in expanding the credit union movement in the UK, delivering strong and sustainable growth, underpinned by sound risk management.”

The Scottish credit union was established in 2015 following the merger of two long established credit unions: Castle and North Edinburgh (above), along with the members of the Water of Leith Credit Union Study Group.

The study group was set up with the aim of establishing a Credit Union in Leith.

The difference between credit unions or mutuals and high street banks is they are owned and run by members, instead of shareholders, creating a shared financial community across the UK, which is accessible to everyone.

Edinburgh Community Food AGM

TUESDAY 10 OCTOBER 11.30am – 1.30pm

at OUT OF THE BLUE DRILL HALL, DLAMENY STREET

You are invited to our 2023 AGM on Tuesday 10th October 🍓🍓

Where: Out of the Blue, Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh

When: 11.30am – 1.30pm

We’d be delighted if you can join us to hear all about what we’ve been up to over the past year. A light lunch will be provided at 12pm.

Please book a place here: https://edinburghcommunityfoodagm2023.eventbrite.co.uk

We hope to see you there!

News from Heart of Newhaven

Instead of a September newsletter, we’re taking a short break and in its place we’re sending you this reminder for all members and everyone interested in how the Heart is being run, that the Heart of Newhaven Community 2023 Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday 9th September at 2pm.

There will be a short presentation from the chair and on opportunity to ask questions. 

Registered members who live within the area of benefit will be able to vote and elect new Board members.

Come along and take the opportunity to talk to some of the current Trustees and find out what has been happening over the last year as well as what the plans are for the future.
You can also register your interest in becoming a volunteer at the Heart.

AGENDA – click here

If you are unable to come and would like to vote, please nominate a proxy to vote on your behalf.  Email agm@heartofnewhaven.co.uk to register.  
 

Coming up soon:

Leith Folk Club will be holding their next event on Tuesday 5th September and it will feature the Sandy Brechin QuaTrio. 

Restoration Forth

The Heart will be hosting the Edinburgh Shoreline exhibition from Saturday September 16th until the 24th.  Come and see the art made by people along the Forth – also as a preview pop in for coffee any Wednesday or Saturday morning and see photographs of all the artworks on display.

Doors Open Days

The Heart and its associated buildings will be open from 10am until 4pm on both Saturday and Sunday, 23rd and 24th September, for Doors Open Days.

The Victorian Schoolroom and Victorian Home Life Exhibit will also be open for visits.

Doors Open Edinburgh 

October Family Ceilidh – the 28th Oct 2pm, come and join us for another family ceilidh – this is Halloween themed. with prizes, games and refreshments.
Tickets available by dropping into the Heart on a Saturday morning. 

What’s On

Keep an eye on the notice boards as well our What’s On page for regular sessions, classes and events. 

Drylaw Telford Community Council AGM date announced

WEDNESDAY 29 JUNE at 7pm in DRYLAW NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE

Come along to our AGM on June 29 @DrylawNC at 7pm and hear from @greenspacetrust about our consultation on parks and open spaces and have your say on how these can be improved.

We are also looking for new members so if you want to help improve the local area please get in touch.

Bield is ready for the next chapter

In-person engagement events return to inform housing services of the future

ONE of Scotland’s leading housing specialists is looking to the future as it returns to an in-person AGM after a two-year hiatus.

Sustainability and the cost-of-living crisis will both sit top of the agenda at Bield’s AGM – which is due to take place this week – with over 100 employees and members in attendance.  

The AGM will be held on 22 September at Edinburgh’s Apex Grassmarket Hotel, with a mixture of staff, members and Board members in attendance to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the industry.

Long-service awards will also be presented to celebrate loyal staff and recognise their outstanding contributions.

There will also be a new addition to the AGM in the form of a staff conference. The conference will be held on the same day to bring together staff who will be overseeing and implementing changes to policy and practice over the coming years.

Dr Lynne Douglas, Chief Executive, Bield Housing and Care.

Dr. Lynne Douglas, Chief Executive at Bield Housing and Care said: “This year we have been working on setting the direction for the next five years, listening to people’s views and pulling them all together into a coherent plan that we are excited to launch in 2023.

“The industry has weathered tough storms over the past few years and we are delighted to look forward and celebrate and acknowledge the hard work of our staff in person. Both our tenants and staff continually drive us forward to achieve the best we can, and that is what helps us through periods of uncertainty.

“We’re delighted to be back hosting our AGM in person and look forward to catching up with members to hear about their experiences over the last year.

“It’s also really exciting to be adding an extra element this year in the form of our staff conference. This event will play a vital role in contributing to our next strategy and shaping the Bield of the future, while providing an opportunity for staff to network and create connections”.

One key element to be discussed at the AGM is the need to focus on sustainability. Bield recently announced the launch of its Energy and Environmental Policy which commits to reducing its carbon footprint by 90% and reaching net zero by 2045 at the latest.

In addition, Bield has also created new sustainability-focused roles in the form of a Net Carbon Manager and an Energy and Sustainability Manager.

Dr. Lynne Douglas added: “There are positive changes and policies being implemented across the organisation which present a real opportunity for tenants and staff to shape the services Bield provide.

“We’re all very much looking to the future with optimism and these events provide a vital platform to discuss the opportunities and challenges ahead.”

Bield is a registered charity dedicated to providing flexible and high quality housing solutions and support for older people.  Bield Housing and Care has around 180 developments across Scotland, providing independent living for those over 50 years old.

To find out more about Bield, visit https://www.bield.co.uk/housing-and-other-services or follow on Facebook @bieldhousingandcare and Twitter @BieldScotland.

Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre AGM

Please join us at our AGM tomorrow (Tuesday, 23rd August) at 12pm.

Are you interested in becoming more active in your local community and shaping the future of your Neighbourhood Centre? We are looking for local people to join our Management Committee as a Charity Trustee.

In order to be elected on to our Management Committee you must be a member of the Drylaw Telford Community Association – membership is free.

Membership forms will be available at the AGM or drop in to the centre prior to the meeting.

Heart of Newhaven June Newsletter

Welcome to your June Newsletter

First of all, we hope you enjoyed the Picnic in the Park on Sunday 19th June in collaboration with the Friends of Victoria Park and the Victoria Park Allotment Holders. There seemed to be hundreds of people there, all having a great time. We hope you caught up with some old friends and made some new ones.

Next in the calendar will be our second Annual General Meeting. This will be held on Saturday 2nd July and members will be receiving their own invitation to attend in person this year, now that Covid restrictions have been relaxed. There will be more details in the members’ invitations.

If you think you are already a member, but have not received the AGM invitation by email in the last few days, please do get in touch with us to check your membership status by emailing admin@heartofnewhaven.co.uk .

Just a reminder that receiving this newsletter does not necessarily mean that you are a member. You might just have signed up to receive the newsletter but not joined as a member.

Check out our website for membership conditions, which are purely geographical. If you live in our area of benefit (there’s a map on the website) then you can become a full member with voting rights.

If you live outside the area then you can still become an associate member but will not be able to vote at the AGM.

Joining is free. If you haven’t joined and wish to, then you can find the form under JOIN on the website.

The Trustees look forward to meeting members in person, many of them for the first time, and discussing our exciting plans for the future.

We would also like to use this newsletter to introduce you to a new member of our team. Bryan McCarthy joins us as our new Volunteer Coordinator.

One of our trustees, Christine McDerment has been on the other end of the volunteering email address up until now, but Bryan has stepped up and answered the call for some help.

Bryan is originally from Cork, Ireland, but moved to Edinburgh five years ago and has been living in Leith while working in criminal justice with Edinburgh City Council. “I have always enjoyed volunteering in my spare time and am excited to put my energy into coordinating the volunteering activities of Heart of Newhaven,” he says.

Now, a reminder: we are looking for volunteers to get involved in reminiscence training.

Sharing family stories is therapeutic and instructive, not to mention enjoyable. If you’re interested in helping to record people’s stories and memories, to then share with the community, then please get in touch. We have secured funding for this, so the training would be free for the participants.

Contact: judy.crabb@heartofnewhaven.co.uk

or Christine.mcderment@heartofnewhaven.co.uk

Remember to check the website regularly for blogs.

The month of May saw a visit to the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther, with whom we hope to collaborate on exhibitions and events in the future. As well as their regular collection they also offer temporary exhibitions and the current one runs until 19th June.

You can find the blogs, including Culture & Heritage and View From The Chair, under BLOGS on the website.