SOMERSHAM ANNUAL MEETING OF THE PARISH

Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Parish held on Wednesday 2nd May 2018 in Somersham Village Hall starting at 7.00pm

Present: Cllr J Caston (Chair of the Parish Council), Vivienne Pratt (Clerk to the Parish Council), 5 members of the Public, Cty Cllr Anne Whybrow arrived 19.12, Cllr Wright arrived 19.21

SAMP1/0518 Opening & Welcome – The Chair of the Parish Council, Cllr James Caston, opened the meeting at 7.00pm and welcomed all attendees. SAMP2/0518 Receive apologies for absence – Apologies had been received from Dist Cllr Anne Killett and the Clerk advised that she had met with Cty Cllr Anne Whybrow earlier that day who had advised that she has another Annual meeting the same evening and may not be able to attend. SAMP3/0518 To approve the Minutes from the last Annual Meeting of the Parish held on 3rd May 2017 – The Clerk advised that there were no matters arising from the last meeting. Decision – It was unanimously agreed to approve the minutes which were duly signed by the Chair. To be uploaded to website – draft of this meeting to be approved at next Clerk year’s Annual Meeting of the Parish. SAMP4/0518 To receive report from SCC Highways dept regarding the Flowton Road Closure – The Clerk read excerpts from the update received from SCC and from Cllr A Whybrow. Cllr Caston also provided an update as his farmland is affected by the closure and advised Clerk that if the road does not re-open by July, it will have a significant adverse effect on this year’s harvest. Copy of the report attached and to be uploaded under separate cover to the website. SAMP5/0518 To receive Parish Council Chairman’s report – Cllr Caston provided an overview of the Parish Council’s activities for the last year and the challenges facing the Council in the next 12 months. The Clerk read a brief synopsis of the reports received from Local Area Organisations. Copy of the Chairman’s report attached – full versions of the Local Area Organisations reports to be uploaded to website. SAMP6/0518 To receive annual report from the County Councillor, Cllr Anne Whybrow – Cllr Whybrow advised that she is Cty Cllr for 13 parishes and provided a written overview for the last year – copy attached. She also advised that the process has commenced to reduce SCC budget in an attempt to save £56 million by 2021 and £15 million for the coming year. PP asked whether there is an emergency telephone number for SCC and Cllr Whybrow advised to call the main switchboard number or the police and she could also be contacted, however, people need to understand that she is not on call 24 hours a day. SAMP7/0518 To receive annual report from the District Councillor, Cllr Anne Killett - Cllr Killett was not present but had sent a written report – copy attached SAMP8/0518 Question and Answer Session – The members of the public were invited to speak but none wished to do so. Cllr Whybrow left the meeting at 19.40. Meeting closed at 19.41 and was immediately followed by the Annual Parish Council Meeting Date of Next Meeting - The date and time of the next Annual Meeting of the Parish is yet to be announced but will be held in May 2019

Chairman ...... Date ......

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Somersham Annual Parish Meeting Parish Council’s Chairman’s Report 2017-18

Very sadly, personal circumstances has forced several Cllrs to resign during the year and unfortunately there are currently only four Cllrs and three vacancies. This has also led to a change of Chair during the first part of 2018 and it is vital that the current vacancies are filled as soon as possible to ensure that there are reasonable voting numbers to continue the Parish Council’s democratic decision making and voting process.

The Council have donated in excess of £3,500 in the last financial year with the decision having been made to only support charitable organisations that have a direct impact or benefit to the Village. The amount donated ensures that the Playing Fields and Churchyard are mown and maintained and other benefactors include the Tennis club and the Duke of Marlborough Public House. In addition, the Council also pays for the emptying of all the litter and dog bins in and around the Village. Challenges for the Coming Year – The two biggest challenges facing the Parish Council over the next twelve months are to ensure that the Cllr vacancies are filled and that procedures and policies are implemented to ensure that changes are made as required by the General Data Protection Reform (GDPR) as well as employing a part-time Data Protection Officer.

The Budget for 2018 - 19 has been set at a level to meet current expenditure and it should be noted that the spend for 2017-18 came in several hundred pounds under budget but some £2,200 over the only income received by the Parish Council – the Precept. As a result of the significant costs anticipated by the GDPR changes as well as the over-spend over a number of years, the Council has had no option but to increase the precept this year following an increase of only £250 over the last 5 years and should be noted that it remains under the average for Mid . The reserves are now allocated to specific earmarked funds, one of which recommended is to be at least 50-150% of the precept received.

Richard Browne – The Council wishes to thank our former Chair for his hard work and dedication over many years and wish him a speedy recovery from his recent health issues.

Cllr Julia Truelove – The Council wishes to thank Julia for her contributions to many of the improvements made around the village and send best wishes for a happy and relaxed retirement. James Caston Chairman, Somersham Parish Council, May 2018

Brief Synopsis of Local Organisations for the past and coming year – Although reported by the Chair, all the following are extracts from information submitted by each organisation - a full version of which will be uploaded to the website

Somersham Community Shop – It is not thought of as just a shop but a village resource that supports the community. The main purpose of the shop is to provide customers with good quality, reasonably priced, produce but there are other services for all to use including the coffee corner, book exchange and a dry-cleaning service.

The latest accounts to 30 June 2017 showed a small operating profit of £271, which after Corporation tax left just £66 of profit following turnover for the year of £60,525. The turnover and operating profit were very similar to the year before and it is expected that the current year will be similar again.

Although a profitable organisation, reserves need to be created to provide for equipment and infrastructure renewal. The team are always thinking of different ways to increase sales but what is needed is the community to support us. The team are working hard to charge reasonable prices and ensure that - 2 - Initials indicate approval -

the business can be sustained and what would help most of all is for everybody in the village to use the shop to some extent.

Somersham Community Pub – The Duke of Marlborough The necessary funds were raised to conclude the purchase of the pub in Feb 2017. Fortunately, the Grade 2 listed building was in reasonably good condition and, as part of the sale, much of the equipment needed to get the pub open by Easter on a drinks only basis was included.

The pub was well used throughout the summer and the business plan stated that food was required to generate the necessary turnover to make the pub profitable so the recruitment of 2 experienced candidates took place in Aug/Sept and then the food offered began to develop along with extending the opening to Thursday, Friday Sat & Sundays and bank Holidays.

Lunch menus were added in November and the opening hours have recently been extended to include Wednesdays to enable more events such as a pub quiz, music nights, beer festival and opportunities for clubs. The aim is to get the right balance between enough food business to make money and still retain the charm of a country pub.

The success of the Pub is dependent on the community, the shareholders, volunteers and customers and early indications are that the pub is being well supported and is performing better than budgeted.

Somersham Community Association The focus for 2017 was on fundraising, maintenance and raising the profile of the SDCA to generate more interest and support from residents. There was a very successful Wheelie Day which raised in excess of £3500 and other events included a quiz night and Christmas party which raised about £700 and the pavilion was busier this year with private rentals taking £135.

Several areas of maintenance have been addressed to bring the pavilion up to the required standard and also the play area has been repaired and most of the overhanging trees along the road trimmed back. The playing fields have been used more this year – Cycle Speedway has restarted for children on a Wednesday evening and local parents run an under 8 football session on a Saturday morning.

Requests for regular practical help with general support and maintenance have tempted no-one. Suffolk Fit Villages were approached and they supported a survey on activities to increase use of the pavilion and playing field but there was insufficient interest from the villagers.

2018 will be largely supported by another Wheelie Day and there are no formal arrangements for other activities at this time. The SCDA has commitments of approximately £1,800 a year just to tick over and carry out regulatory inspections. This does not include grounds maintenance which is currently kindly supported by Somersham Parish Council, but looking ahead, the SDCA will need ongoing support and funds to continue the work in bringing it up to date with modern regulation and completing a backlog of maintenance needs.

Somersham Town Land Charity – There has been no increase in allotment rents since 2014 and the current cost of a plot remains at £8.50 per annum. The allotments are provided for the residents of Somersham, but, if there is no-one on the waiting list a plot may be let on an annual basis only to residents outside the parish.

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Somersham Town Land Charity is a small charity with income of approximately £375 per annum. This income comes from allotment rents and investment income. The bank balance is currently just under £3,500 and no requests for assistance have been received for 2017.

The Charity are always anxious to hear of any Somersham residents or community groups going through a difficult time which can be considered for assistance.

Somersham Neighbourhood Watch - Scheme 717 Two years ago after the Suffolk policing review in 2016, the Suffolk Neighbourhood Watch parted from the Police Constabulary and has now been set up as a voluntary organisation, working in partnership with the national Neighbourhood Watch organisation. Since then, the co-ordinators have not been able to receive any crime updates from the local Constabulary and the only alternative is to register with Police UK to receive local area crime updates but unfortunately these are almost 2 months behind.

In the past days of Neighbourhood Watch, there were personal visits and meetings with the local Police and, prior to 2016, Colin worked with the CID, SOCO, attended court cases and was well known from the Chief Constable, Martlesham Force HQ, and Bury St. Edmunds police station. Sadly, Co-ordinators now have to rely upon the Internet for N/W newsletters and information and have no other means of communication with the organisation or Police.

The Golden Link Club The Somersham Golden Link over 60s club started in 1962 in the old village hall with a membership of around 30. It was agreed at the AGM in 2016 to move future meetings to the Community Shop’s coffee area although by now numbers were down to only 9 members.

A meeting is to be held in April 2018, the end of the club’s financial year, with a view to wind up the club and decide what to do with the remaining monies or to discuss keeping the club going till the monies run out and the accounts are closed, sadly at which point the club will cease.

Report from St. Mary’s Church PCC The Parochial Church Council (PCC) continues to support Rev. Daniel Harrison in managing and maintaining the Church of England presence in the village, including providing for the spiritual needs of the population and maintaining the building. In addition to our regular services the church conducts baptisms, weddings and funeral services when required. Daniel, like his predecessor, is responsible for 8 parishes in all.

Financially, it was a mixed year and the much needed new lighting was installed in the church in June. Everyone is benefitting from improved lighting inside the church as well as new external lights to see us out after the services, especially useful during the winter months. Thanks to a generous donation a path has recently been laid from the church porch to the gate to the village hall car-park.

Regular fund raising events have been well supported but the PCC has struggled to meet all of the costs of the day to day running expenses and are once again very grateful to the Parish Council for their help towards the cost of maintaining the churchyard.

School Report – Claydon High School On 1st June 2017, Claydon High School, East Bergholt High School and Hadleigh High School joined together to form a multi-academy trust - The South Suffolk Learning Trust. The Trust (led by an experienced board of local trustees) intends to grow and support the learning of Suffolk youngsters aged between 3 and 19 and add positively to improving life chances of Suffolk children through effective collaboration. In February 2018, Mrs Sarah Skinner was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the trust and - 4 - Initials indicate approval -

she, along with Headteachers Maéve Taylor, Colin Turner and Caroline Gibson, are delighted to be continuing to work together to share best practice and enabling an even wider number of children to reach their full potential.

Last summer saw Claydon High School’s first cohort of Year 11 students receiving results for the new style of GCSE exams. These exams were designed to be more challenging and so it is great to report that of our 120 students, 63% achieved a grade 4-9 in both Maths and one of their English GCSEs; the grade 4 is equivalent to grade C in other subjects. 26% of our students achieved passes at grade C or 4 in their EBacc suite, which includes a Language and Humanities subject. We had many strong performances in individual subjects including from some students who had faced significant challenges during their GCSE studies.

District Councillor Report to Somersham Annual Parish Meeting 2nd May 2018 • Planning

Work is still underway in the preparation of a new Joint Local Plan. The first round of public consultation generated over 1000 responses. It is important to have a new plan in place so that the District can be deemed to have a five year land supply, however we are seeking clarity on the issue that the housing number targets would be ‘joint’ in a joint plan, yet the Councils remain separate and sovereign – we could be responsible for meeting the ‘joint’ target but not have authority to achieve this. The next draft is expected for consultation in the summer. A Community Infrastructure Levy Expenditure Policy has been agreed and a first round of bidding is due in May 2018. • Is the merger with Babergh still likely? and Council proposed a merger and this was approved by both councils subject to a detailed business case showing that the merger would be beneficial in terms of finance and service delivery. Two weeks ago, Colin Noble (Leader of SCC) appointed consultants to consider alternative local government structures for Suffolk including disbanding all District and Borough Councils within the county and setting up unitary authorities (or a single county-wide unitary). This has caused the proposal to join MSDC with BDC to be called into question. However, District Council Leaders across Suffolk have asked Colin Noble to halt the work of the consultants to allow a collaborative review involving all district councils, the police authority and the health sector as well as the county council. Colin Noble has refused to do so and there appears to be a stalemate situation. It is therefore almost certain that there will be no merger before the May 2019 District Council elections. • Housing A new joint in-house maintenance team (BMBS) has been formed to oversee all the repairs and improvements to the council housing stock. It is hoped that this will eventually create savings for both councils and an improved level of service for tenants. • Boundary Review

The Boundary Commission are currently reviewing the ward boundaries within the district and there will be a reduction in the number of councillors for the election in 2019. The final round of consultation ended on 30 April and it looks likely that our ward will be divided three ways. • Finance and Organisation

Core funding from the Government has decreased again and will reduce to zero by 2019/20, so there has been another 0.5% increase in Council Tax to create a balanced budget for next financial year. The Council has moved its offices to Endeavour House in and is making claims that this will save £5.8M over the next 10 years. However this figure is for both Mid Suffolk and Babergh District Councils so is actually only approximately £2.9M and that’s for both capital and running costs. And it isn’t saving we will see. If the councils hadn’t moved to Ipswich, they would have retained only one office as a head office so the true “saving” is even less. And had the two councils moved into a single office in either district there would also have been some considerable savings made. A Capital Investment strategy to create ‘profit for purpose’ is now underway, borrowing at low interest to invest in property or projects to provide an income to support council provided services. Some of the proposed £25M has been invested in commercial and retail premises outside of the district. MSDC has again not spent its budget (underspending has been on average £700,000 for each of the last seven years). - 5 - Initials indicate approval -

• Enterprise

Land earmarked for the Enterprise Zone has been purchased by the Council as an investment. The Council have invested £2.56M into the Regal Theatre in Stowmarket to create two more screens. A new joint Economic and Tourism strategy has been created to help attract businesses to the districts. • Communities

Over £81,000 was awarded in capital grant projects across the district, which has enabled another £500,000 of external funding to be allocated. Individual members of the council were given a locality budget of £6,250 to allocate to projects within their wards. In Somersham this fund contributed to the maintenance of the footbridge onto the playing field, improvements to the cellar at The Marlborough and there was also a contribution to the Rural Coffee Caravan and the Link magazine. I hope there will be an allocation again in the next financial year so do keep this in mind for any projects with a community benefit.

Anne Killett Mid Suffolk District Councillor Barking and Somersham Ward

County Cllr Annual Report for Bosmere Division 2018 Anne Whybrow, The Old Rectory Ringshall. IP14 2HZ Tel: 07525 288635

I stood for election and have the honour to represent Bosmere Division. I am proud to represent Badley, Barking, Battisford, Baylham, Combs, Great Bricett, Little Finborough, Nedham Market, Nettlestead, Offton, Ringshall Somersham and Willisham. Qiute a wide area to traverse and one filled with differing needs.Of the 75 Suffolk County Councillors, 52 are Conservative Councillors. We stood on a manifesto of strong financial control. We are always mindful that it's your hard-earned money that pays for the services we provide to the most vulnerable people in Suffolk, from protecting children to helping older people with social care support. After one of the worst winters on record, with a number of extremely damaging frosts, we have begun the permanent repair programme - as we do each year, once our crews have stopped their gritting work. We spend about £60M a year on our roads and we all want to spend more. That's why, as per our manifesto, we are borrowing £21M over the next 4 years to surface dress over 1,000 miles of our 4,000 mile network. The Highways is the area I spend most of my time on; from potholes to badgers, from rights of way to flooding: these are the items that mainly fill my time.

More news highlights from 2017/18

Here is a selection of news items from that featured over the last 12 months. For further details on any of these stories, and more, visit https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/council-news/.

Samuel Ward Academy Trust becomes first Research School in East of England

On 7 April 2017, it was announced that Samuel Ward Academy Trust has become the first official Research School in the East of England.

The Samuel Ward Academy Trust, which has 15 schools in the Haverhill, Newmarket, Sudbury and areas, has been awarded £200,000 funding to become a focal point for educational research. The Trust will be one of only 11 Research Schools in the country and will be jointly funded through Suffolk County Council’s Raising the Bar programme and the Education Endowment Foundation, as part of the strategic partnership between EEF and Suffolk County Council to bring the best education research to the county.

As well as supporting teaching and learning across the Trust, they will be instrumental in sharing good classroom practice across schools in Suffolk, working in partnership with the Teaching Schools and the county’s School-to-School Support Partnership.

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Suffolk passes 90% fibre broadband milestone as commitment to connect entire county is reiterated

On 21 July 2017, new figures were published that show that nine out of every 10 homes and businesses in Suffolk now have superfast broadband available. Suffolk County Council and Openreach have signed a new contract to extend coverage to 98% during 2020. Plans are being developed for the remaining 2% to complete the Better Broadband for Suffolk programme.

Around 315,000 properties now have the option of using fibre broadband, an increase of more than 127,000 from when the Better Broadband for Suffolk programme started deployment in 2013. It comes as Suffolk County Council reiterates its commitment to provide high-speed internet access for all properties in the county – no-one will be left behind.

Energy Efficiency grants now available for local retail businesses in Suffolk

In August 2017, it was announced that recent changes to European funding rules mean that retail businesses across Suffolk can access grants for energy efficiency measures. Suffolk County Council is collaborating with Norfolk County Council to use EU funding to support businesses from a range of sectors. A number of shops have already benefitted from free and independent advice and a change in the funding regulations means that shops can now also access grants towards the capital costs of any energy saving measure.

The Carbon Trust calculate that taking 20 per cent off the energy spend of any business is equivalent to a 5 per cent increase in sales.

Suffolk County Council’s Children’s Services continue to improve following Ofsted pilot inspection

On 6 November 2017, it was announced that the council’s Children’s Services are now rated ‘Good’ in all areas. Ofsted have developed a new framework for their future inspections of Local Authority Children’s Services (ILACS). Earlier this year, Suffolk County Council was asked to be a pilot site for this new inspection framework.

Suffolk County Council’s Children’s Services were previously judged ‘Good’ overall at the end of 2015, a grade that only a third of Local Authorities have achieved.

Whilst this was positive, the council recognised that there were still areas for improvement and Ofsted’s latest report reflects the action taken to improve in all areas. All areas are now judged to be ‘Good’. This puts Suffolk County Council in the top 25% of all Local Authorities. Suffolk County Council’s 2018/19 budget proposals published

On 14 November 2017, proposals to balance Suffolk County Council’s budget in 2018/19 were published. These included an option to increase the basic rate of council tax for the first time in seven years and a range of savings plans.

All local authorities across the country continue to face significant challenges to meet frontline service requirements in a climate where there is less money and resource available. Once again, the council has carefully considered financial forecasts and projected demand to ensure the most vulnerable people in society continue to receive the highest level of support possible in the future.

The council also continues to develop new and innovative ways to deliver services and make further savings. This includes using digital technology to improve efficiency and ensuring health and social care services working better together to improve access for the people that need help. These programmes will support the authority as it seeks to make savings of £56 million by 2021.

Suffolk is chosen as one of only 10 pilot areas to retain 100% of business rates

On 20 December 2017, the amount of money allocated to each Local Authority in England for the next financial year was announced by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid.

As part of the announcement, Suffolk County Council was named as one of the pilot areas for a new Government scheme to retain 100% of business rates from Council Tax in 2018/19. In future, Business Rates will be an even greater income stream for all local authorities.

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Fully funded first-time central heating systems for Suffolk residents

On 14 December 2017 we reported that Suffolk’s local authorities are now able to provide fully funded central heating systems* to 514 fuel poor households across Suffolk over the next three years. Around 4 million UK households are in fuel poverty, unable to affordably heat their home to the temperature needed to stay warm and healthy. As well as being on low incomes many of these households are also faced with the additional burden of relying on heating systems that are inefficient and expensive to run.

The local authorities working together as the Suffolk Climate Change Partnership have been successful in securing funding from the first round of the Warm Homes Fund for a project worth £4.3 million. The Suffolk project is being managed by the County Council, administered by Suffolk Warm Homes Healthy People based at Suffolk Coastal District Council and supported with further funding from Babergh, Mid-Suffolk, Forest Heath and Waveney District Councils plus Ipswich and St Edmundsbury Borough Councils. Alongside the first-time heating system, households will also be able to benefit from new insulation measures to make the homes more energy efficient as well as grants from the Suffolk Community Foundation’s ‘Surviving Winter Appeal’ where eligible. *subject to survey and conditions

Additional £21 million to resurface and repair Suffolk’s roads

On 15 January 2018, Suffolk County Council announced new plans to invest an additional £21 million in resurfacing and repairing the county’s roads in the next three years.

The plans will see 1,000 miles of roads in Suffolk resurfaced by March 2021, a quarter of all the roads that Suffolk County Council is responsible for. This is a commitment made in the council’s Our Priorities report published in 2017.

This investment will improve the quality of roads, reduce the number of potholes and enhance the experience of Suffolk’s road users. It also makes sound financial sense as preventing deterioration will avoid the need to spend more money on reactive maintenance over the same period and in future years. Over 227 miles of Suffolk roads were surface dressed or machined surfaced during the summer of 2017.

The funding will boost Suffolk Highways’ road maintenance and improvement spending in 2018/19 alone by 21% - £40 million in total. The extra money will be allocated to roads and infrastructure where there is the greatest need. These works will be planned carefully to make the most of the warmer summer weather when surface dressing needs to be done and conditions are the best for machine surfacing. This work will be fully coordinated to reduce the impact on road users.

A reminder: You can access up-to-date information about roadworks, road and street closures and how they affect you, as well as information about road improvements projects in Suffolk. The interactive map can be found at www.suffolk.roadworks.org Revised GCSE and A Level results reflect progress of Suffolk students

The Department for Education published revised GCSE and A Level results on 25 January 2018.

The validated figures confirm that 3% more students in Suffolk are achieving the expected standards in English and Maths at GCSE compared with last year. 63.1% of students in the county are achieving the expected standard in English and Maths and Suffolk has closed the gap to national to less than 1%. Suffolk has also risen by 26 places in national league tables for this measure, to 83rd out of 151 authorities. The county has risen 5 places in national rankings for the percentage of students achieving the English Baccalaureate.

The Revised A Level figures confirm that Suffolk pupils have once again performed well with the General Applied entry and Tech Level entries remaining above the national average figures.

Since the launch of the council’s Raising the Bar programme in 2012, Suffolk has risen 59 places in national rankings for GCSE attainment in English and Maths. 87% of schools in Suffolk are judged by Ofsted to be ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’.

New Chief Executive for Suffolk County Council

In March 2018, Nicola Beach was appointed as Suffolk County Council’s new Chief Executive.

Nicola, who is currently Executive Director of Infrastructure and Environment at Essex County Council, will take up her new role this summer. She was appointed due to the wealth of experience she has in local government, having been

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Chief Executive at Braintree District Council before joining Essex County Council, and having held various other roles in authorities across the East of England.

Sporting delights

About 2,000 swimmers took part in the Great East Swim on Saturday 17 June, swimming distances between 250m and 10km, with some including the new Swim/Run challenge event. An estimated 6,000 spectators supporting family and friends were there from all over the UK and it was an opportunity to show some of what the county has to offer as a future tourist destination.

The first Great East Run, a half marathon, was held in Ipswich on Sunday 24 September 2017. The race reached its capacity, with all 3,000 places selling out in a matter of months.

On Friday 8 September 2017, Newmarket and hosted the Suffolk stage of the OVO Energy Tour of Britain. This is the first time a full stage of Britain’s premier road cycling race has taken place in Suffolk. Stage 6 was 183km long, and it started in Newmarket and finished in Aldeburgh. The last time the Tour was here (2015) it generated an economic impact for Suffolk of £2.2million, even though only half the stage was in the county – the whole stage, which was shared with Norfolk, generated £4.5million. The event also provides the opportunity to engage communities along the route to use the event to showcase their locality to a national and international audience, bring communities together and inspire people to be more active.

I shall be pleased to answer any specific questions to your area.

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