Official Notices

Dissolving the NGRA – Why and How

Posted on by Norwood Green

Dear Resident

I am writing these notes as Chair of the Norwood Green Residents Association (NGRA) and what has been running as its replacement, the Better Place To Live CIC.

Just as a brief update and why we currently have 2 associations, the NGRA had run for many successful years but recently it was felt the format of the organisation had become stale and out of date in the ways it could serve you, the residents.

The committee of the NGRA overwhelmingly agreed that a new approach was required. This led to the formation of the Better Place To Live CIC, which has now officially operated for over 18 months.

During this time the CIC has run the hugely successful Village Summer Fete. It has also, with great help from residents planted floral displays which have bloomed across our greens. In recent months the CIC has acquired a defibrillator which has been placed outside the Old White Beare providing 24 hour life-saving access.

The CIC has taken on board the main concerns of the residents, as set out at our initial open events. As a result we held a vote on a proposal to tackle anti-social driving in our village. The proposal was overwhelmingly approved by village residents and we are now pushing forward to deliver this project.

There are plans in place to plant around the Hilltop Green and install steps from Hilltop Green into Billy Woods providing safe access for all. Once again this is fully financed, the structural drawings and plans are awaiting the green light from the Local Authority.

These are things the CIC has been able to do which the NGRA wouldn’t have had the structure, the finance, or the capacity to achieve.

I must pass on my gratitude for the ongoing work of all the CIC Directors who have and continue to work tirelessly and voluntarily, using their own spare time to help make Norwood Green a Better Place.

There now comes the time whereby the NGRA is an organisation in name only and provides no service to the village in its current state. As such and in line with its constitution and rules, the next Open Meeting of the CIC, which will take place on June 14th, will begin with a Special Open Meeting of the NGRA. There will be one item on the agenda which will be to vote on the Dissolution of the NGRA. A majority of 2/3rds must be achieved to agree on the Dissolution.

As a resident, it is important for you to cast your vote whether it be for or against the proposal to dissolve the NGRA. You can either do this online or in person at the meeting on 14 June. Please note that the vote on the evening will be a show of hands rather than a sealed vote. A link to the online voting page will be sent out to all those residents who have registered their email address with us. If you haven’t already registered, you can do so here> The online voting will close at 6pm on 14th June.

As Chair of the NGRA it would be remiss of me not to thank all those committee members who for so many years did the most wonderful job for the village. Unfortunately, time moves on and the lack of public investment and increased procedural pressures has led us to require a new structure.

If you have any queries or questions relating to the Proposed Dissolution of the NGRA please could you contact me at the old email address of norwoodgreenresidents@yahoo.com. This email address has been reopened for this proposal only and will be closed down again on 13th June 2022

Yours sincerely
Jonathan Dent
Chair – Norwood Green Residents Association and Norwood Green Better Place CIC

1 thoughts on “Dissolving the NGRA – Why and How”

  1. Martin P says:

    I fully follow the reasoning of this article, and agree with its conclusions.

    I also warmly endorse the declared objectives of the CIC.

    That said, there was nevertheless an additional democratic aspect to NGRA, and I think that this should be replicated with the CIC so far as possible.

    That is, that if a person be proposed – say as a director of CIC – then that could be put to a vote of the residents, and in equal measure – should it ever arise – that it were proposed that an existing director be replaced, then that would also be done by the same democratic procedure.

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