tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post115692407014064089..comments2023-12-21T00:14:07.455+00:00Comments on <center>EASTCLIFF RICHARD</center>: Skateboarding NewsRichard Eastcliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10514972891192411470noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-1157020234410178032006-08-31T11:30:00.000+01:002006-08-31T11:30:00.000+01:00Helen Jezequel? Is that Sandy Ezekiel's 'nom de pl...Helen Jezequel? Is that Sandy Ezekiel's 'nom de plume'?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-1157011022285305072006-08-31T08:57:00.000+01:002006-08-31T08:57:00.000+01:00According to the Charity Commissioners TCDT are re...According to the Charity Commissioners TCDT are required by law to present accounts within 10 months of a period. If 2004/5 accounts were late, then its nice to know that eminent Cllrs listed as Trustees can be held to account. Cllrs acting as trustees need to keep up to flying speed on the 'charity' they are trustees for, as they are collectively responsible for its financial affairs. Cllr Green might be pleased he is no longer a trustee!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-1156972492114578572006-08-30T22:14:00.000+01:002006-08-30T22:14:00.000+01:00This all looks rather heavy to me, still Ive been ...This all looks rather heavy to me, still Ive been up since 5 worked with sweat for several hours got home at 7 done blogging for the night, AND AM SHOCKED AT THE APPARENT SERIOUS TONE OF YOU DIATRIBE , will consider adequate responce over night. I come here to be entertained Mr DickcliffTony Flaighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15212662248741515725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-1156967544893161422006-08-30T20:52:00.000+01:002006-08-30T20:52:00.000+01:00Until Labour lost control of TDC in 2003, I was a ...Until Labour lost control of TDC in 2003, I was a Council nominated trustee of Thanet Community Development Trust. It was set up as a charity to administer part of the Council’s allocation of Single Regeneration Budget and European Regeneration Development Fund grants, i.e. the part allocated towards community development as opposed to “hard” regeneration of the built environment or business development. Another quarter went towards “spacial development” to develop a fund to provide services to our business parks to make them more attractive to inward investors.<BR/><BR/>The theory was that TCDT would invest the monies to provide sustainable future funding for community development. It would also be in a better position than the Council to apply for other funding streams for community development in Thanet.<BR/><BR/>As a charity, the Trust were not allowed to make a profit out of any of its activities of course. So to facilitate this, shortly before I left we set up a Charitable Company, the idea being that any profit this company made would pass to the trust. There was talk also of forming a further company to operate on a broader basis than Thanet alone.<BR/><BR/>It was at this time that the opportunity arose to invest in the land currently occupied by the Skate Park. I supported the investment, it “saved” the park, and gave the Trust further land to lease to other “community” businesses and to provide space for start up enterprises. We also set up the current training premises “The Academy” in Cliftonville which was intended to provide “community capacity building courses” cross subsidised by commercially based courses.<BR/><BR/>At a later date, I had a hand in persuading KCC to grant part of the old Hereson School site in Lilian Road, Ramsgate to the Trust to develop a Family Centre. Again the idea being to rent out space to provide sustainable funding for reinvestment.<BR/><BR/>Towards the end of my time the attitude of the funding bodies changed, and instead of block funding bodies like TCDT, they preferred individual projects, which TCDT could and did apply for. This meant that funding core staff became more difficult, and some of us on the Trust wondered whether the overhead the Trust represented, was worth the gain to community development in Thanet. <BR/><BR/>My understanding is that the salaries of the permanent staff of the Trust are paid by the Company. In my time there was active discussion of how much control of the companies would be retained by the trustees. I and others fought some quite difficult battles on behalf of the Trustees.<BR/><BR/>In 2003, the Tories took over control of the Council and Cllrs Bayford and Spencer became the Council’s nominees to the Trust. Since then, we have had no reports back to the Council, so I cannot comment on the current state of play.<BR/><BR/>I cannot really add to the current debate over the skate park, except to say the terms and duration of the lease have been known since the trust first leased the land. On the other hand, subsidy of a facility such as the skate park would be within the remit of the Trust. The fact that the Skate Park is a private company is a complicating factor.<BR/>I believe the Trust (especially the Council nominees) should have seen this coming and dealt with it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07552625950299268077noreply@blogger.com