2023 Annual General Meeting

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Nominations for both new trustees of the Faversham Society and Officers of the Society have now closed.

Election of Trustees

There are four retiring trustees at the AGM 2023, creating four vacancies. Election of trustees to fill these vacancies will take place at our AGM on Wednesday 24^th May 2023 – 7pm at the Assembly Rooms, Faversham. If members are not able to attend the AGM in person, they may appoint a proxy. The Proxy Form for doing so is available on line at the bottom of this page and in hard copy at the Faversham Society VIC, 12 Market Place, Faversham ME13 7AE.

Four nominations have been received. Nominee details are as follows: 

Nominees for Trustee of the Faversham Society

Leigh Allison

Personal Statement: Although I’ve lived in Faversham since 2014, it wasn’t until I retired that I joined the Society and began to volunteer in the Visitor Information Centre. Seeing first-hand the fantastic impression that visitors have of the town made me fully appreciate how lucky we are to live here and what a hidden gem it really is. Because of my background in IT, I took on the role of membership secretary soon after becoming a volunteer. Our membership has remained steady, but I am very keen to continue to grow our membership across the whole range of the community of the town. I’ve also become involved in the museum archives and keep our website up to date. I’m part of a small publishing group, revitalising interest in the well-researched, but dated, Faversham Papers by digitising them. We are also developing new publications covering different aspects of the town’s rich history and using some of the unique archive material the Society owns. Faversham is a fascinating place and, along with the 200 like-minded people who give their time to preserve it, I’m very proud to call it home.

Jonathan Carey

Personal Statement: Jonathan is a conservation architect and leads on the maintenance of Faversham’s historic buildings. He is a long-serving and dedicated volunteer and trustee of the Society, and if elected, will lead the Society’s new heritage group. 

Harold Goodwin

Personal statement: I joined the Board in 2014 and two years later was elected chair in 2016. Our town and the Faversham Society have been going through a period of profound change and we continue to face the challenges of development. There are issues about the number and types of homes which are being built, infrastructure and community facilities. We have pushed for the return of Town Quay and the Town Warehouse (aka Hazard) to Faversham and for the restoration and opening of the Engine Sheds to the east. I am pleased to say that progress is being made on both. Through the Local Plan review and then the Neighbourhood Plan, I have had a crash course in planning. The Conservation Area Appraisal that the Society has pushed for is nearing completion - critical to ensuring that future development respects the built and natural environment that we enjoy in Faversham and that our generation adds to our heritage. We have a new VIC location in the heart of the town and a fine new bookshop, now we need to focus on our heritage centre and museum. 

Matthew Hatchwell

Personal statement: I have been a trustee of the Faversham Society for the past three years and a member of the Environment Committee for four. During that time, I have highlighted the importance of Faversham’s rich natural heritage as a feature inseparable from the historical, cultural and architectural elements that have been the traditional focus of the Faversham Society. I believe my professional background in the natural environment has been useful for the Society as a whole as well as within the context of the Board of Trustees. I have provided vital environmental input to the neighbourhood planning process for the town, am an external member of the Town Council’s Environment Committee, and am keen to contribute to the Society’s “Futures” focus under the new management structure agreed in recent months. I’m a firm believer in the value of strategic plans and, if re-elected, would work with the rest of the Board to develop such a plan for the Society during my second term as a trustee.

Election of Officers

At each Society AGM, an election is held for the posts of Chair and Vice-Chair of the Society. One nomination for each post has been received. Nominee details are as follows:

Nominated for Chair of the Faversham Society: Harold Goodwin

Personal statement: I joined the Board in 2014 and two years later was elected chair in 2016. Our town and the Faversham Society have been going through a period of profound change and we continue to face the challenges of development. There are issues about the number and types of homes which are being built, infrastructure and community facilities. We have pushed for the return of Town Quay and the Town Warehouse (aka Hazard) to Faversham and for the restoration and opening of the Engine Sheds to the east. I am pleased to say that progress is being made on both. Through the Local Plan review and then the Neighbourhood Plan, I have had a crash course in planning. The Conservation Area Appraisal that the Society has pushed for is nearing completion - critical to ensuring that future development respects the built and natural environment that we enjoy in Faversham and that our generation adds to our heritage. We have a new VIC location in the heart of the town and a fine new bookshop, now we need to focus on our heritage centre and museum. 

Nominated for Vice-Chair of the Faversham Society: Sir David Melville

Personal statement: Most of my career has been in Higher and Further Education as a Professor of Physics and most recently as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kent. I have lived in Faversham since 2011 and been a Trustee of the Faversham Society since 2018. I am proud to be involved with such a vibrant amenity society at the heart of a town with a strong sense of identity and community. I am passionate about the importance of educational opportunities at all levels from schools to universities and for ensuring there are leisure and employment opportunities for young people in Faversham. I am particularly interested in the future of Faversham Creek and am a Patron of the Faversham Creek Trust, Chair of the Faversham and Oare Heritage Harbour Group and a member of the Faversham Future Forum.

Elections

Chris Wright retired earlier this year, and Leigh was co-opted to the Board.

2022 Annual Report

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Officer and Trustee nomination forms for Faversham Society 2023 AGM

2023 AGM Officer Nomination Forms

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2023 AGM Trustee Nomination Forms

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2023 AGM Proxy Form

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