A great time was had by all

SAINSBURY’S VETERANS LONDON OFFICE GROUP
London Office Chair Bill Williams Reports

The London Office group was set up in 2016 to enable London Office Veterans to meet up with old colleagues. Our major event was the Doggett’s gathering in 2017, and I hope to see you all again soon at our next Doggett’s gathering on 25th April 2018.

This is the first AGM so there are no previous minutes. I would like to thank the Veterans Association for allowing us to do this electronically. You get all the reports, can vote for each individual from the comfort of home and are able to leave comments or offers of support which we will follow up later.

In our first year following the first Doggett’s gathering last March, your committee, with a group of other volunteers, has organized London walks and other events for you to get together with old colleagues.

Veterans Brian Doonar and John Renshaw hosted six very different London walks, we organized a private tour of the Sainsbury’s Archives in Docklands with archivist Allison Foster and we visited the Brooklands Museum of Transport with Concorde guide and Veteran Peter Watling. We are grateful to these members for their support in our first year.

In 2018 we have more themed walks with Brian along the Thames Path starting with one at Hampton Court on 11th April, whilst John’s expertise as a Blue Badge guide will be revealed in a private tour at Westminster Abbey in June and a Legal London walk on July 10th. The founding father of the Sainsbury’s wine department Allan Cheesman will conduct our first wine tasting at the Sydenham store on May 9th. On June 6th Veteran Roy Watts will lead a behind the scenes day at the famous Bluebell Railway.

My thanks go to the founding committee who are all prepared to serve a further year. Our Events co-ordinator Paul Humphreys has done a magnificent job with the events programme past, present and future. Mike Attwood came aboard and took control of our finances and his report follows this one. Steve Arnold, as secretary, has taken over the membership maintenance, produced the Newsletters and used his systems knowledge to enable us to achieve another first with this electronic AGM.

Ken Barden has given us valuable experience and support and I thank Rob Connelly for attending our meetings alongside his other duties as Regional Chair to give us the advantage of his vast Veterans experience.

I hope to see most of you at the Doggett’s gathering on Wednesday 25th April.
Bill Williams - Chair

Treasurer Mike Attwood Reports

Our account at the end of the 2017/2018 year is £4326.31 in credit with the forthcoming Doggett’s gathering to be paid for.

We were given a £1500 starter grant in late 2016, with a £1500 top up in the 2017/18 financial year. An advanced grant has been paid in before the end ofthe financial year and a regional grant of £450 to pay for the tea and coffee on Doggett’s day 2018.

The Doggett’s 2017 function was paid for by the Veterans Association but this year’s circa £2500 will come from our grant funds. Other walks and trips havebeen virtually cost neutral due to the generosity of the members leading them.

Our hall hire costs are less as we do not meet monthly like most groups but we have paid out £300 to hire the two Doggett’s rooms which gives an indication of hire costs in Central London.

Committee expenses, including travel have been met from the grant, totalling £263.69

The 21 members not on email create some printing and postage costs for Newsletters but having 94% online really saves costs.

For 2019 the Veterans Association will centrally fund a bi-annual reunion for our group to a similar sum that the current reunion venues cost.
Mike Attwood - Treasurer

Secretary Steve Arnold Reports

Our membership has grown to 297 online and 21 postal members, so 318 total.
Your help in gathering names is ongoing as we currently do not have a Holborn system to produce a listing of our Company Veterans as its all currently by local postcode.

I maintain the database for our members so please continue to pass on the Newsletters with my contact details as you have done over the past year so we can get the Newsletter out to those who would like to be kept in touch. We now have 40 members who are not “official” Company Veterans but have service to the Company and are always welcome to attend our events.

All our communications are sent out as blind copied so as not to display members’ email addresses but on occasions we will publish just the members’ names on an attendance list to those confirmed as attending, unless you tell us otherwise.

Any ideas for the Newsletters are welcome and I thank the members who have contributed with reports on the activities so far. In particular Mrs Humphreys has been a major source of photos so thank you Patricia!

The closing date to complete the vote is Friday 13th April

If you are interested in any of our future planned events please let Events co-ordinator Paul Humphreys know so he can update you when plans are confirmed or updated. We know that not all dates will suit but we can target those most interested. Conact Paul at paul.v.humphreys3@gmail.com

To book most events email Paul.v.humphreys3@gmail.com

For the Doggett's on May 1st email steve.arnold@hotmail.co.uk

11th April Thames Path Walk Kew Bridge to Putney North bank led by Brian doonar

1st May Doggett's reunion on Blackfriars Bridge

14th May Knightsbridge Walk led by John Renshaw

21st May Repeat Knightsbridge walk due to popular demand

5th June Marylebone Walk with John Renshaw

19th June Canary Wharf to Greenwich walk with Brian Doonar

27th June Allington Castle private visit

9th July Wine tasting with Allan Cheesman at Sydenham

11th July Square Mile walk with John Renshaw

28th August Putney Bridge to Vauxhall & Westminster Bridges with Brian Doonar

Chair: Bill Williams

Vice Chair: Ken Barden

Secretary (pictured): Steve Arnold    email: steve.arnold@hotmail.co.uk

Treasurer: Mike Attwood

Events Co-ordinator: Paul Humphreys  email: Paul.v.humphreys3@gmail.com

Jill Hayes- Doggetts 2019 arrangements

David Hatch- News and Event Letter production

Deputy Chair, Sainsbury's Veterans Association, Rob Connelly writes:
As an Association all our Veteran groups are required to hold an Annual General Meeting once a year. Given that our London Office group currently has one big annual event, I would not wish to take up your time at the Doggett’s with a full AGM.
Using the survey tool developed by secretary Steve Arnold for the 93% of you online, I have asked the committee to submit their reports to this website and then Steve to add the link to the survey form where you can note that you have read the contents and then individually vote for the existing committee members for the forthcoming year who are willing to stand again.
There is also space to submit comments or volunteer your services and the Committee will discuss at a future meeting and respond via newsletter. This way you will all have had the opportunity to vote and just the results will be given on Doggetts day and by subsequent Newsletter. A manual version is being sent to the non-email members.
As in the past year the committee will seek candidates to join or replace existing members as needed. I thank them for continuing to bring the London Office members together.