You can have a say in how Foreshore Trust funds are spent
Would you like to have a say in the way the Foreshore Trusts spends its surplus income by determining which local groups and causes deserve support?
The Foreshore Trust owns all the land along the foreshore from Bulverhythe to Rock a Nore and Hastings Borough Council (HBC) is the trustee. Now the council wants to find volunteers to sit on its Grants Advisory Panel which gives advice to the the Foreshore Trust on how surplus income should be distributed.
Councillor Sue Beaney, who chairs the charity committee, explained: “As a charity, the Foreshore Trust wants to help the local community, and giving grants to local groups is one way we can do this.
“We are looking for more volunteers to join our existing panel. The panel meets around four times a year, and other meetings may be called as and when necessary. We are particularly looking for people with knowledge of the local voluntary and charitable sector.”
According to the Hastings Borough Council website Ms Beaney is one of three councillors who administer the trust, the others being Councillors Andy Batsford and Judy Rogers.
Anyone interested should contact the council’s chief legal officer Chris Barkshire-Jones on Hastings (01424) 451731 email cbarkshire-jones@hastings.gov.uk
- To find out more about the Foreshore Trust click this link
- https://hastingsinfocus.co.uk/2018/05/23/what-is-the-hastings-and-st-leonards-foreshore-trust-and-what-does-it-do/
I might be just too cynical about this Foreshore Trust and its set up. Something that does not sit well for me and I am sure a few others. I sure I will be corrected and criticised if I am wrong.
Here we have a registered Charitable Trust that is “council controlled.” And totally Labour controlled. Three Labour councillors as trustees. As you see in this copy one of the administrators of it is the council lawyer.
Yes of course it is very nice of this Trust to hand out the money it makes from various incomes of this foreshore land. However, anyone on this panel will be up against three Labour councillors and the council too, I can perceive it might be just to controlled.
I know this is diverting from the content but I think there are a lot of people out there not happy how this Trust failed to offer any comment over that Stade planning application and the footpath. When many of us questioned it with the Trust, as they were asked to give their view on it, we got blanked.
There was a lot of discontent wth this charitable trust when the Amusement park applied for various planning consents. Whilst there were many objections to the proposals it appeared to ,many that this Foreshore Trust were pretty much toothless and had little to say in support of residents concerns. They also appeared reluctant to concede that some of the proposals were to the detriment of public access and enjoyment of the area.
As the commentator Sagacious states, this Trust is very much Labour controlled and it would be good to see some from the ‘other side’ being permitted to take part in decisions.
Few residents appear to know what the Trust actually stands for. Many would be surprised to learn that it is set up to not only administer grants it is there to protect our Foreshore.
Firstly an apology for making a second comment here but in view of the pertinent issues Lady Marigold has raised I would like to add something here.
Yes few out there are not familiar with the Foreshore Trust, what it does, what it owns and how it operates.
It does rather surprise me how as a registered charity it can be affiliated to HBC and have local politicians controlling it. As I understood the charity rules, they are forbidden to have any political involvement. Correct me of course if I am wrong. I was under the impression this was going to be raised with the Charity Commissioners by a few residents in the Old Town after the amusement park debacle.
I think the best thing would for the Trustees to be totally independent individuals. No political ties at all such as memberships to parties. Got to cut out any influences especially any party that has a majority on the council.
Another ad hoc committee associated to the Foreshore Trust that only a few know of is the Coastal Users Group who are consulted by the Trust on various issues relating to the foreshore. Again this group is predominantly councillors ( Labour ) and council officers outstripping others on this panel.
It all sounds far too HBC controlling to me. But who am I just another one out there