Showing posts with label Francis Henry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Francis Henry. Show all posts

Monday 25 September 2023

Butt again refuses representations on Barham Park. Time for the Charity Commission to intervene?

 

 Thanks to Rucksack Traveller for this video taken a year ago LINK

 

The Barham Parks Trustees Committee meets again tomorrow (10am Brent Civic Centre) as a result of the Trusts's accounts being pulled from the last agenda because of a considerable number of errors. 

 

Francis Henry requested to speak at tomorrow's meeting but the request was refused by Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council and Chair of Trustees.

 

It is normal practice that representations can be made to local council committees on items that are on the Agenda of a particulat meeting. At the previous meeting Muhammed Butt refused representations (and indeed stopped Francis Henry from making them) on the plans for the future of the parks that were on the agenda. This time Butt refused despite the fact that the only item on the agenda is the accounts and Henry's submission deals  with serious shortcomings regarding them.


Surely it is time for the Charity Commission to look into compliance issues around the Trust. LINK

 

Henry wrote to the Council to express his diasppointment:

 

 

It is disappointing that once again Councillor Butt is refusing to listen to a local representative of local people who uses and cares about Barham Park.

 

It is clear that he wants to hide and not acknowledge that Barham Park is being neglected and mismanaged and faces ruin under his stewardship.

 

We will not allow this to happen.

 

I enclose a summary of the issues I want you to present to the Trustees and to be reproduced as a submission (in full )as part of the minutes of the meeting.

 

Regards

Francis Henry

 

 

 

Dear Councillor Butt and other Trustees

 

I am writing in my capacity as Chair of a recently formed Friends of Barham Park (FoBP). The President of FoBP is Allan Barham who is the great grandson of one of Titus Barham's cousins. His grandfather worked for Arthur Barham (brother of Titus Barham ) who was the Managing Director of United Dairies (later Unigate). in the late 1800s and early 1900s both Titus and Arthur lived in the buildings currently occupied by Friends of Barham Library and the other tenants. He is concerned about what his going on with the Titus Barham bequest and wishes that the memory of Titus and his contribution was better looked after.

 

In the short time since its creation FoBP has signed up 150 supporters. The number is growing every day. We also have the support of numerous local groups operating in the Sudbury and Wembley area.

 

I originally came to speak to the Barham Park Trust Meeting on 5 September following an invitation from the Council. That invitation did not give any restrictions on what issues I could speak on.

 

It has always been the practice for invited representatives of existing tenants to speak on any issue of concern on the Agenda. The minutes of previous meeting (Page 1 of the Agenda that was before you) make this absolutely clear.

 

I came  to speak on behalf of Friends of Barham Library (FOBL) - an active community organisation providing invaluable services to local people from our premises in Barham Park.



Despite of this you both interrupted my contribution and them prevented me from speaking. I came to raise concerns about the recommendations before you that will deprive Barham Community Library, run by FOBL, of our hard won space in Barham Park.

 

FOBL, and the tenants were neither informed or consulted about the proposals before the Meeting on 5 September. What are now described as "hypothetical" proposals require all tenants to be removed with no guarantee of return.

 

Officers failed to advise you that the proposals could not be implemented in the foreseeable future because has ACAVA has 6 years remaining on their Lease and FOBL has 8 years to go. There are no break clauses in favour of the Trusts and the tenants have the right of "quiet enjoyment" - i.e. no noisy or disruptive building work permitted. The £20,000 + cost of this consultancy work (apparently charged to the Trust) has been wasted. While the recommendations may be "hypothetical" the large sum of money spent is real and could have been used on much needed repairs instead.

 

There have been earlier consultancy "vision" exercises and condition surveys in the past 10 years. These also recommended pie in the sky ideas - a large pond with a viewing platform for example. This was never implemented for obvious reasons - it was a mad idea.

 

Recommendations to carry out essential repairs and maintenance to the plaster work and wooden features of the buildings and repair and upgrading of the crumbling paths and walls have never been carried. Instead of undertaking essential works the Trust under your stewardship has wasted around £40,000 on these type of pointless consultancy exercises.

 

Barham Park is neglected and faces ruin. Yet the bronze option which was meant to develop a repair and maintenance plan has been inexplicably dropped.

 

The excuse for this is the claim that the Trust is not generating enough income. This is partly because it is YOU who decided to implement a policy of rents based on social value and because officers have failed for years to collect the correct income that is due to the Trust. ACAVA was allowed to build up rent arrears equal to much more than their annual rent due. They were not charged interest on these arrears. Their rent review due in 2019 was overlooked - losing the Trust in excess of £5,000 in rent each year since then. (£20,000 lost income in the 4 years since). Who made the decision to forget or ignore the terms of their lease?

 

There are many more examples where correct income has not been charged or recoverable expenses have not been recovered. Officers do not bother to tell you and none of the Trustees bother to find out the truth.

 

Local people love Barham Park and are angry at the way Brent Council as Trustee and Managers of the Park allow it be neglected and run down. 

 

Those local people, with much greater local knowledge than either you or the other Trustees, are ignored or not allowed to speak at the Trust meetings.  

 

The Accounts presented to the Trustees are misleading and fundamentally wrong. They had to be pulled at the last moment on 5 September. The revised Accounts are still wrong as they do not reflect the reality and are completely misleading.

 

Where for example in those accounts or those for previous years does it show the Income (grants) received to undertake the work on the Barham Park Pond or the ongoing work on the QE II Silver Jubilee Garden and where is the expenditure shown and included. The total sums involved exceed £100,000 and yet the accounts do not show any of this financial activity. In both cases the Accounts should show 'restricted' income and the ongoing expenditure that the income is being used for.

 

As Paul Lorber has already pointed out to officers the 2022/23 revised Accounts being presented are wrong and misleading. The Trustees should NOT approve them and ask for an accountant with knowledge of Charity accounting & reporting to review the financial affairs of the Barham Park Trust and assist in the preparation of accounts that reflect the true position of the Income & Expenditure of the Trust for the year to 31 March 2023 and the Trusts financial position as at 31 March 2023.

 

There is a long list of failures to highlight in the way Barham Park has been mismanaged and money wasted. The Trustees are not being told the truth and you and the others are failing to ask the right questions.

 

If you either want to know the truth and have a genuine commitment to improve Barham Park and its building and recreation of local people as Titus Barham intended, then you have to start listening and engaging with people who know a great deal about Barham Park and whole heartedly care for its future.

 

Regards

 

Francis Henry

for Friends of Barham Park

representing the views of local people

 

Readers having been present at the last meeting or seen the video or media reports may be interested in how the Minutes record what happened.


 

 

Monday 5 January 2015

Bid to Open Children's Library and Study Space in Barham Park building


From Friends of Barham Library

Friends of Barham Library have identified a second empty building in Barham Park as suitable for much needed community use.

A few weeks ago the Barham Volunteers made a bid to the Barham Park Charity to be allowed to take over the empty Cardroom building in Barham Park so that they could reopen a Library in the area. They have now made a bid for a 2nd empty space within the Barham Park Buildings for the opening of a separate Children Library and Study Space for children and young people of Sudbury & Wembley.

The 2nd space used to be the Council's Parks Department Reception area but has been empty for at least 5 years. According to Francis Henry of Daniels Estate Agents, who is acting as the Property Manager for Friends of Barham Library on a volunteer basis, the room which is around 30 sq metres in size would be ideal for a standalone Children Library for the area.

The room is accessed from the main Harrow Road and is clearly visible. It is also close to the bus stops for numerous local buses serving the area and a short walk from the Barham Park play area and small car park.

According to Paul Lorber, a former Councillor for the area, the biggest losers of the closure of Barham Park Library were children and young people and a replacement library is much needed.
While the Barham Volunteers continue to run two volunteer libraries and second hand bookshops from temporary premises in Sudbury Town Underground Station and 428 High Road Wembley what they need is permanent premises within Barham Park so that they can expand their activities and provide a full blown library service that the local area needs.

Paul Lorber said:
We have fantastic local support which has enabled us to keep going and to run two volunteer Libraries for around 3 years. We have shown our ability to get things done and we now want to make the best possible use of the empty parts of the Barham Park buildings to expand our library and educational service to the local community.
Besides running the book lending and selling service from their two temporary premises the Barham Volunteers also run English Conversation Classes, an Arts & Crafts Club and Chess Club for Children and let their space out to an elders Bridge Club and for advice sessions to young people.

The decision to allow Friends of Barham Library access to the empty parts of the Barham Buildings lies with four Labour Councillors who currently act as Trustees of the Barham Park Charity. The Trustees are due to meet at the end of January when it is hoped that they will finally agree to let local people to open a Volunteers run Library in Barham Park.

Anyone wishing to support the "We want to get back to Barham Park volunteer library campaign" should visit the existing Friends of Barham Library premises in Sudbury Town Underground Statio open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 3:30pm to 6:30pm. or 428 High Road Wembley (near Daniels Estate Agents & KFC) open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 12pm to 5pm.
 

Thursday 6 November 2014

Brent Council guilty of unfair dismissal in another Employment Tribunal case

Brent Council, still  facing unprecedented anger over the Cavani racial discrimination, victimisation and  constructive dismissal case involving  Rosemarie Clarke has lost another Employment Tribunal case.

Marion Hofmann has won her case against Brent Council for unfair dismissal.

The Judgment ordered that Marion was to get all rights and pay as if she had never been dismissed on 18th February 2013 and as if she had been in continuous employment. This include contractural and pension rights.

She is to be re-engaged in the role of Sustainability Officer (Communities) from 30th December 2014.

The papers were signed on October 31st and the Council has two weeks to let the court know if it is going to appeal.

Her dismissal caused anger amongst Brent environmentalists  and led to Francis Henry resigning from the post of Chair of Brent Sustainability Forum, a post he had held for 6 years. LINK

In a letter to the Kilburn Times today, Paul Lorber, former leader of Brent Liberal Democrats, claims that Brent is going to abolish the environment department and delete the post of strategic director of environmental services.  This comes just two weeks after Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt appointed George Crane lead member of the environment, after the resignation of Cllr Keith Perrin.

Ongoing speculation about the reason for Perrin's resignation will now centre on the abolition of the department.


Saturday 19 April 2014

Wembley Matters is taking a break

Wembley Matters is taking an Easter break for  a couple of days

Its break will only be interrupted by major news such as Cllr Muhammed Butt joining the SWP, Francis Henry ousting Paul Lorber as leader of  Brent Liberal Democrats, Brent Conservative councillors becoming coherent, Brent Greens supporting Quintain's plans for a nuclear power station in the Civic Centre car park or Lorraine King organising a 'no shopping'  boycott of the London Designer Outlet.

The break will also provide a ceasefire in the Kensal Rise 'Comment Wars' taking place on this blog. Time for reflection and relaxation...

Wednesday 12 February 2014

Leading environmentalist denounces Brent Council in resignation letter

Francis Henry, who has voluntarily supported the Brent Sustainability Forum, latterly as chair,for 6 years has resigned in protest at the sacking of one of the key environmental officers at Brent Council.

He has called on other members of the Forum to join him in  resigning and to consider making the forum website LINK independent of the council.

His letter to acting Chief Executive Christine Gilbert says:



CONSTRUCTIVE DISMISSAL  MARION HOFMANN
I  have been the Vice Chair initially and subsequently the Chair of the Brent Sustainability Forum (BSF) since 2008.
Together with others we have worked hard to help Brent Council to deliver on important environmental issues. We always had great support from Marion who was truly dedicated to the cause.
I and others are appalled how Brent Council and your senior officers have treated one of our colleagues who has contributed so much to public engagement and the promotion of environmental issues.
It would seem that as an organisation Brent Council and some of your officers in Environmental Services will do everything possible to get rid of good and trusted officers who understand how to work with local people and who are truly committed to the cause.
I am so disgusted by the conduct of Brent Council and the conduct of your senior officers that I am resigning as Chair of Brent Sustainability Forum and ceasing my involvement with anything involving your Council.
You and the whole Council should be ashamed in the way you treat your valued members of staff who have the trust and respect of the local community.