SPC & SCA say a ‘Big Thank You’ to Saltford’s volunteers

Saltford Parish Council (SPC) together with Saltford Community Association (SCA) hosted a ‘Big Thank You’ event on Friday 1 March 2024 to recognise the valued efforts of various volunteer groups in the village.

Around 100 volunteers were invited to Saltford Hall to hear speeches from SPC Chair Cllr Jon Godfrey and SCA Chairman Richard Evans, both who are in their first year at the helm of their respective organisations.

Immediately prior to the ‘Big Thank You’ event Cllr Jon Godfrey led the Saltford Annual Parish Meeting which was open to all residents. During the APM, Cllr Godfrey highlighted the excellent work of both Saltford Sports Club and Saltford Community Association, and thanked the executive teams at both organisations for their contribution to the community. Please see the APM 2024 draft minutes for more information (also on SPC’s noticeboard and Meetings – Agendas & Minutes page). Cllr Jon Godfrey then closed the Saltford Annual Parish Meeting 2024.

At the start of his ‘Big Thank You’ speech, Cllr Jon Godfrey thanked nearby residents as well as the staff at two local businesses who had supported SPC’s Norman Road phone box project over the past year. Local residents were thanked for caring for and watering the phone box flowers, as supplied and installed for free by Flourish at Glenavon Farm. Lee Bignell, CEO at Mobius Group, and members of the Mobius team were also thanked for their work overseeing the delivery and installation of the phone box for free. Cllr Godfrey also expressed appreciation to the landlord of the Bird in Hand and The Crown pubs in Saltford, who had offered to fund and install a defibrillator on the Norman Road phone box (pending National Grid connection works).

Cllr Godfrey then highlighted the achievements of two groups SPC had awarded funding to over the past year, the SCA’s Santa Sleigh Team and the Saltford Santa Dash. Both teams had raised considerable sums of money for local charities through their efforts, as well as bringing much cheer to the village during the festive season.

As 2024’s Big Thank You marked the first of the current Saltford Parish Council (as elected in May 2023), Cllr Godfrey expressed his thanks both to those who had served on the previous Council as well as the many Councillors who continued to serve on SPC during its current term. In particular, Cllr Godfrey raised attention to SPC’s current Councillors ‘very positive culture and a wide breadth of skills and experience’. He went on to acknowledge in particular the support of Cllr David Halton (SPC Vice Chair) coupled with the knowledge and ‘tireless work’ of Cllr Phil Harding (SPC Chair of Planning Committee), and drew attention to their work on the Parish Council to seek landscape protection and designation for ‘Saltford South’. Thanks were also expressed by Cllr Godfrey to the Parish Clerk for their ongoing work and contribution to Saltford Parish Council.

SPC Chair Cllr Jon Godfrey then thanked Saltford’s two B&NES Ward Councillors Duncan Hounsell and Alison Streatfeild-James for their monthly reports, attendance at SPC meetings, information sharing and positive working relationship with SPC.

Finally, Cllr Godfrey thanked everyone in the village who donated their time to Saltford for the good of the community.

Saltford Community Association Chairman Richard Evans then gave a well received speech to those present, thanking many of SCA’s active volunteers by name. People included in Mr Evan’s speech included key volunteers at SCA, including a volunteer who had led the association’s welcome to Ukrainian visitors and supported their host families, as well as volunteer members of the fantastic teams who run the SCA’s ‘Saltford Community Coffee Club’ and ‘Sunday Afternoon Tea’ events (see p.6 in the latest edition of SCAN for details about SCA events).

Mr Evans also gave detail about recent changes at SCA’s Management Team. He expressed his sincere thanks to those that had recently stepped down after many years on the SCA#s Management Team. Residents included Prof. John Davies, who had served as SCA Chairman since 2016, as well as Peter Dando, Jo Ball and Chris Essex (the latter being described as ‘AKA Mr SCA’ on the night! Mr Evans added that Chris Essex had been SCA Treasurer for 14 years and that he would continue as a SCA Trustee).

SCA’s new fundraising committee and SCAN team were also thanked by Mr Evans, and he recognised the excellent efforts of the Saltford Festival team ahead of this year’s event in June.

Mr Evans ended his speech by thanking the many volunteer teams that SCA works closely with, including the Santa Sleigh, Santa Dash, Saltford Tennis Club and Saltford Sports Club. SCA Chairman Richard Evans then thanked everyone for attending.

Those present at the Big Thank You then enjoyed a meal, drinks and dessert at the event as well as the chance to engage with other volunteers in the community. Following the event, SPC and SCA received several positive comments, and Mr Evan’s shared that the Big Thank You had been a ‘successful evening with lots of valuable conversations, chatter and networking too’.

SPC and SCA express their thanks to everyone who came along to make it such an enjoyable evening.

Photo L-R: SPC Chair Cllr Jon Godfrey and SCA Chairman Richard Evans

SPC and SCA were pleased to welcome around 100 guests at the Big Thank You 2024

Some SPC Councillors present prior to the start of the event. L-R: Cllrs Andy Rice, Phil Harding, Jon Godfrey, David Halton and Dudley Bartlett.