Regular visitors to this blog will know that there are many people keenly following the fate of number 4, the Circus, following a meeting of the council’s Charity Board.
Before them was the task of sanctioning the appointment of four new trustees to the Frances Georgina Cooke charitable trust with the task of winding up the charity and selling its only asset – the Grade l listed house.
Please read previous stories on the subject to get all the background material, but l was pleased to hear from one of the members of the public who sat in on the meeting and is concerned about the fate of the unique Georgian Garden at the rear of the property.
She is Ali Jewell – Chair of the newly-merged Avon and Gloucestershire Garden Trust and she tells me she was there with Kay Ross, who is the Vice-Chair and Tim Mowl, who is the President.
Ali told me:
‘Kay Ross was allowed to speak before the proceedings began and expressed concern at the current state of the Georgian Garden and her fears for its future if the Trustees of the charity remain solely elected members of the B&NES.
The garden is absolutely unique and the product of archaeological excavations, learned research into design, planting and appropriate garden furniture.
Photographs of the garden taken circa 2017 show a haven of peace and order crowned by a specially commissioned bench backed by a trellis.
As many readers will know, the garden is now in a state of disrepair, the bench has disappeared (stolen?), the trellis has fallen down, the hoggin has been replaced by shingle, the box hedging has been replaced by yew, and many of the plants are missing.
It is crucial that the new Trustees focus on the refurbishment of the garden to its previous state whilst also fulfilling the aims of the Charity with regard to the house.
To that end, independent (non-B&NES council) Trustees should also be sought and plans for proper funding put in place.”
Ali wanted to make clear that these were her impressions of the meeting and thoughts on the subject, and her statement has not been discussed or approved by her fellow committee members who attended the meeting.
I agree with her point about the trustees all being councillors. How does that make them ‘independent’ when they are charged by B&NES with getting rid of the house?
I also suggest they hurry up and change the charity’s details registered with the Charity Commission, as it still shows four ex-trustees as being in place.
They will also have to hurry up and open a bank account – for the first time in the Frances Georgina Cooke charity’s life. The proceeds of a sale belong to the charity and not B&NES.
It’s ironic that it says ‘charity reporting is up to date.’ Other details registered with the Commission are also not so.
