Everything you need to know about 

NORWOOD GREEN BETTER PLACE CIC

The purpose of Norwood Green Better Place CIC
is to support the community in making Norwood Green a better place to live

 
Norwood Green Better Place CIC is a Community Interest Company, registered with Companies House and approved by the CIC Regulator.
Company number 12890916.

Our registered address is: Norwood Green Village Hall, Village Street, Norwood Green, Halifax, HX3 8QN.

We are Limited by Guarantee and any surplus made must be reinvested into work that benefits the community and to build a general reserve. There are no shareholders in the company. Should the CIC ever wind-up, the Norwood Green Village Hall Charitable Trust will receive all remaining assets
(financial and/or physical) so the village can benefit from these.

The Community Interest Company structure provides for:
• The holding of funds (from donations, charitable trust funding or the public purse).
• Being an accountable body (to the community, Companies House, HMRC and the CIC Regulator).
• Legally and safely organising and overseeing the progress of agreed initiatives and the transparent use of funds.

core values

INCLUSIVE

We will do all we reasonably can to engage residents and businesses in the conversations about how Norwood Green can be a better place to live and work. We want to hear the broadest range of views possible about how life in the village can be better and we want to encourage community involvement in how we deliver all aspects of our work. 

CIC Directors

The CIC Board of Directors all live in Norwood Green and volunteer their time for free.

A request for directors to form the first CIC committee was made at the Residents Association Meeting in July 2019. 
Directors serve a minimum of three years and resign at different intervals.  This gives the opportunity for new directors to come on board on a regular basis whilst also ensuring continuity within the committee.

The CIC is currently seeking two new directors to make up the full board.  If you live in Norwood Green, have some spare time and want to make a difference to the village, please get in touch.  The CIC is particularly interested in someone with a financial or accounting background to join the board, and also someone with experience of community engagement

Jonathan Dent
Chairperson

I first moved into Norwood Green in 1982 at the tender age of 11 and enjoyed my adolescent years in the village with a group of friends, many of which of became lifelong pals. After leaving home I went through a ‘Hobo’ stage and lived in Hove Edge, Brighouse, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, Rastrick, Hipperholme and Lightcliffe before finally moving back into the village in April 2010 with my wife, Rebecca and our son, Joel.

I started my working life as draughtsman for an electrical company in Brighouse. After 4 years, I moved on into the world of kitchens as a Designer and Salesman working in Leeds and Manchester. In my early twenties I answered the call from my dad to help cover for a shortage of staff in the warehouse of the family steel stockholding business. The idea was to help for a couple of months……. almost 25 years later I was still there. I worked my way up through the business and was in the position of General Manager before retiring in 2015.

I now run a business which includes property rentals and interests in a couple of restaurants.

I joined the Residents Association and Village Hall Charitable Trust in 2015. In 2017 I accepted the offer to become Chairperson of the Residents Association and was proud to be appointed as Chairperson of the Better Place CIC following the structure changes.

My hobbies include enjoying a pint or 3 in the local hostelries, live music, travelling, being an abject golfer and a lifelong love (sometimes hate) of Leeds United. I also fancy myself as a bit of a cook and haven’t poisoned anybody……. yet. I have also taken part in the village pantomimes, becoming somewhat typecast playing the fairer sex; very unconvincingly.

Read more about Jonathan

Andrew Mear
Community Safety Lead

I am a property developer and owner of the The Home Co in Skipton. I have lived in the village for the last 25 years and can be found on the golf course or at the Old Brodleians Rugby club.

Read more about Andrew

Andy Peers
Governance Lead

My wife Sonjia and I have lived in Norwood Green for nine years and have a daughter, Issy, who is seven years old now and loves the village just as much! When not in lockdown, you’ll regularly see us at the children’s play area near the Cenotaph, where wonderful friendships have been formed and Issy’s ‘monkey-bar’ skills have come on a treat.

The last 20 years of my working life have been dedicated to supporting positive social change and have included the roles of Chief Executive for The Big Issue South West and Operations Director (Yorkshire) at the British Red Cross. I am now the Chief Executive of a national grant-making charity, the Longleigh Foundation. I am also the Chair of the Board for the award-winning, Halifax-based charity, The Next Step Trust, that provides support to young adults with complex needs.

I am proud to be on the team that has formed Better Place CIC and to play a part in how we can work together to make life better for all in the village.

I have played a central role in the formation and incorporation of the new CIC. My focus, in these early stages of Better Place’s development, is on good governance, compliance, administration and bringing my extensive knowledge of the social sector to how we progress.

Read more about Andy

Ian Woodall
Road Safety Lead

I have lived in Norwood Green for the last five years with my partner Jane and our various dogs.  As a relative newcomer to the village, being involved with the Norwood Green CIC enables me to contribute to a community that has made us feel at home since we arrived.

My day job is as an Operations Manager in a national civil engineering and construction company, primarily in the infrastructure sector. I have 30 years’ experience of delivering and managing complex construction projects, and hope to be able to put that experience to good use for the benefit of our community.

I am also a keen amateur beekeeper and the well-stocked gardens of Norwood Green are a great help to my bees, as I hope the bees are to the village horticulturalists; I thank you all!

I look forward to meeting many more of you this year when we are able to become more sociable again!

Read more about Ian

Marc Salama
Environment Lead

My wife Hannah and I have lived in Norwood Green for five years. We have two young children, a son Archie and a daughter Elsie, and big black and white dog, Mabel. We are most often seen taking Mabel for walks in and around the village.

I have been working back at Nordgreen Nurseries for the past nine years, having previously completed 14 years in the Royal Navy where I trained and qualified as a battlefield medic.

Since leaving the armed forces I have retrained and am now a qualified garden designer alongside my role at the nursery.

I look forward to helping the Better Place CIC and village flourish.

Read more about Marc

Tim Booth
Community Safety Lead

After qualifying from Bristol University as a veterinary surgeon, I volunteered for SPANA in Morocco, treating and operating on the working horses and donkeys in the Atlas Mountains.

I settled in Halifax working as an equine surgeon and ambulatory vet for Hird and Partners equine hospital, and went on to become a partner in the practice.

I met my wife Amy (also a vet and long term Norwood Green resident) and have lived in the village ever since.

We have two young daughters and outside of work I enjoy skiing, shooting and family walks. I am team vet for the Great Britain pony eventing team, official vet for the FEI (the governing body for equestrian sport) and vet at Bramham and Badminton horse trials, amongst many other horse events.

In my spare time I try to keep my TVR on the road.

Read more about Tim
Jo Phillips

Jo Phillips
Resourcing and Funding Lead

I have lived in the village for over 5 years, with my partner Dominic and dog Tia.   I grew up in Wibsey, lived in Bath and Leeds before finally settling in Norwood Green. 

My full time job is Head of Creative for Hallmark Cards, where I have worked for 25 years, across various roles, leading and managing large teams and projects.

I’m hoping to put some of my skills and experience to use, leading the fund raising for the CIC and helping to improve life in Norwood Green for everyone.  

Read more about Jo

THE CIC STORY

From 2017 to the present day

Timeline

2017
14 November

Initial Proposal

Initial Proposal of a ‘Community Funded Project’ given by Andy Mear at the Residents Association meeting.  The idea is based on a Business Funded Platform in Skipton of which Andy Mear was on the committee.  (Courtesy of Residents Association Minutes 14th November 2017)   
2018
8 May

‘New Project’ Viability Discussed

Further meetings take place to discuss the viability of the ‘New Project’

(Courtesy of Residents Association Minutes 8th May 2018) 

1 June

Details published in the Norwood Green News

Details of proposed ‘Mini Norwood Green Council’ appear on the ‘Norwood Green News’ as a method of raising funds for improvement projects

(Courtesy of the Norwood Green News – June 2018) 

2019
1 March

The Project is Named

The new project is given an initial name –  ‘Make Norwood Green a Better Place to Live’  – at the Residents Association meeting

(Courtesy of the Residents Association Minutes 12th March 2019) 

9 April

Full Presentation to Residents Association

A full presentation of the Norwood Green ‘ A Better Place to Live’ project is given by Andy Mear at the Residents Association, outlining how the proposal is likely to work.  Around 50 residents attended this meeting. 

2 July

The First Open Residents Meeting

A specific open meeting takes place for village residents, following a leaflet drop to all houses in the village notifying of the event.  The village hall was packed with many needing to stand during the meeting.

This was followed up by emails to all those who registered interest and volunteers were invited to form the first committee.

17 July

The Inaugural Meeting of the New Committee

The new ‘Committee’ meet at the Old White Beare for the inaugural meeting. Initial members were Andy Mear, Andy Peers, Tim Booth, Marc Salama, Steve Waring, Jonathan Dent, Ian Woodall and Jonnie Carroll. Tim, Marc and Steve were not present and gave their apologies.

2020
1 January

2nd Leaflet Drop to Village Households

A further leaflet drop to every village household took place to notify of 2 open events to take place in March 2020. Notification of these events were also posted in December 2019 and March 2020 ‘Norwood Green News’

1 March

Open Events in Village Hall

Two open events take place in the Village Hall. The events detailed the strategy, governance and initial projects. The events are attended by over 100 residents where feedback forms were filled in and data collected. 

22 March

Covid Hits

18 September

The CIC Is Officially Formed

18th September 2020 ‘Norwood Green Better Place CIC’ is formed and registered at Companies House. 

2021
4 January

3rd Leaflet Drop To All Village Households

A third leaflet drop to every village household takes place detailing the aspirations of the newly formed committee.   In addition, almost 150 residents have signed up to the Norwood Green database and receive updates relating to the CIC via email

7 April

First Public Meeting of the CIC

The first opportunity for residents of Norwood Green to meet the directors of the CIC and to find out about the initiatives that the CIC are working on for the benefit of the village

The meeting was held online via Zoom, due to Covid restrictions

53 households and over 70 residents joined the meeting

Click here for more information about this meeting