A summary of key points arising from Council of Management meetings held between February and June 2010 (in no particular order):

Staff and volunteer issues. Concern has been expressed at recent Trust Council and Board meetings regarding a shortage of volunteers in some areas - particularly Operations and Passenger Services. We are conscious of the enormous commitment required to operate one of the busiest heritage railways in the UK and Mike Whitwam and Geoff Carter are therefore preparing a volunteer survey. Please look out for this and provide us with some honest feedback.

Approval has been given to introduce name badges for all staff (paid and volunteer) who regularly work on the Railway.

The shower\toilet block has been in position in Swanage for some time now (where the Ops office used to be) but sadly progress on bringing it into use has been hampered by the need to install adequate drainage.

Accounts. Draft audited accounts for the year ended 31st December 2009 were reviewed and approved at April's Trust Council meeting. The Swanage Railway Company recorded a net profit of £179,267 for the year and as a result a sum of £91,345 has been covenanted to The Swanage Railway Trust. The consolidated Trust accounts list net incoming resources of £343,069 for the year and net assets of £1,435,094 for the SRT only and £1,886,873 for the Trust and Company combined. Whilst the Company profit in particular represents excellent business, and is a great credit to all the staff and volunteers involved, we are all cautious of the fact that our projected development costs far outweigh this amount. In other words, sadly we are not awash with money and the need to carefully control costs remains as important as ever.

As in previous years summary accounts will be sent to SRT members with the AGM papers later this summer. Full accounts will be available on demand and posted as PDF files on the Trust website.

Swanage station freehold. Swanage Town Council has agreed in principle to sell the freehold of Swanage station to the Railway. This constitutes the main station buildings, platforms, goods shed, trackbed and all other railway land situated between the buffer stops and Northbrook Road bridge. A meeting with the valuer representing the Town Council has been arranged in order to discuss the asking price. It is highly likely that a commercial mortgage will be required and the financial implications of this will be carefully considered before any final decision is made on whether to proceed with a purchase.

Strategic Plan. The Swanage Railway's existing Strategic Plan was produced by former General Manager Nick Brown and covers the period 2006-2011. It is now being fully revised and the new draft Plan is being put together by Mike Stollery and Steve Doughty. When complete it will be circulated to departmental managers for comment before a final version is made available to all Trust members.

Project Wareham. The team led by Mike Whitwam continues to play a very active role in the Purbeck Community Rail Partnership (PCRP). The proposal to reinstate passenger carrying standard signalling at Worgret Junction enjoys unanimous support across the political spectrum. Officers at Dorset County Council (DCC) are "optimistic" that the required £3m funding will be secured to ensure that Worgret Junction is included in the Network Rail re-signalling scheme. DCC Councillors are continuing to be lobbied. Network Rail has confirmed that the current target date for completion is May 2013. The next PCRP meeting is scheduled for 14th July.

One of the infrastructure requirements for a regular Swanage-Wareham service is the installation of a fully gated level crossing on the Wytch Farm road at Norden. BP has agreed to fund this but the new crossing will mean that the road-rail interchange facility will need to be moved. Options for alternative locations have recently been reviewed. Ideally we would like this to be at Furzebrook but with BP being reluctant to allow this on their site and the Imery's facility on the other side of the line being unsuitable a reworked layout at Norden seems the most likely outcome.

Furzebrook. Arrangements for the lease of Furzebrook depot site are finally moving forward with DCC. A future lease is likely to be split into two phases; phase one - three years for storage only - and phase two which will incorporate train care facilities. The Trust Council has confirmed the operational need for this site regardless of, and certainly well before, the introduction of a Wareham-Swanage train service.

Old Oak Common turntable. An operational 70 foot turntable currently located at Old Oak Common depot in London has been made available to the Railway as part of the Crossrail project. This is due to be dismantled and delivered to the Railway later in the summer. A location for it to be installed has yet to be determined and the Trust Council has agreed that, following acquisition, a strict project deadline, e.g. three years, should be drawn up. If installation does not look likely then sale of the turntable is likely to then be the preferred option. A Borail wagon on free hire from the Bluebell Railway will be used to store the turntable in dismantled form following delivery.

Herston Carriage Shed. The extensive ground works to the South East of Herston Halt have progressed well in recent weeks thanks to the hard work on the part of all involved and the thankfully dry weather. Funds for the all important phase two works - construction of the shed itself - have yet to be raised. An appeal is due to be sent with the next edition of Swanage Railway Magazine.

Rolling stock. The overhaul of Bulleid brake coach no. 4365 is nearing completion whilst Bulleid Composite coach no. 5761 has now returned to the Railway following extensive restoration offsite at contractors Rampart Carriage & Wagon Services Ltd in Derby. Car 14, which requires some further repairs, formed the return load and will hopefully be back at Swanage later this summer.

The SK(O) open access coach had recently entered service following extensive refurbishment and has been well received by its users.

The SR Walrus ballast hopper, currently in a very poor condition, is to be refurbished at Ramparts and used by the Permanent Way department on a regular basis going forward.

Harman's Cross station. We hope to pursue a grant from the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme in respect of a future project to install a footbridge at Harman's Cross station. Currently there are two SRT owned footbridges located in Dave Guppy's yard at Ringwood which were left over from the Croydon Tramlink reclamation project. A recent inspection of these has indicated that a footbridge for Harman's Cross should be possible using combined parts from these.

Trust AGM. Nominations for this year's Council of Management elections are now being accepted. Anyone interested in standing should request a nomination pack from the Trust Secretary, Mark Woolley. Completed nomination forms need to be received the Returning Officer, Derek Montague no later than 12:00 on Saturday 14th August.

Sorry for the lack of report in recent weeks. Well try to ensure that in future a monthly update is posted by a Trust Council member. Normally these will deal with strategic issues rather than day to day operational matters.  However, if there is any particular point that you feel should be reported on - or indeed that warrants greater attention - do please let me know.

Mark Woolley

Trust Secretary

mark.woolley@btinternet.com

Members may have seen the news on the BBC about the extension to the Network Rail funding deadline for the Worgret Junction resignalling project. We have now seen the formal notice from Network Rail to Dorset County Council (DCC) confirming that the deadline of 30th April for the commitment of £3m has been moved to 30th July. This is of course very welcome news, but while the extra time is useful, we still need to find the money. Or rather, I should say that the Purbeck Community Rail Partnership (PCRP) needs to find the money, for this is the organisation that is promoting the amenity service project. The PCRP comprises DCC (in the chair), Purbeck District Council, Swanage Town Council, Network Rail, BP, Poole Borough Council and of course ourselves.  It is perhaps worth remembering why it is the PCRP rather than ourselves which is in the proverbial driving seat on this - firstly, we cannot hope to raise the sort of sums needed on our own and secondly (and perhaps even more importantly) we cannot put our existing operation or charitable status at any risk. Despite the role of the PCRP in promoting the project, all options remain open as to how and when a new service would be delivered and by whom. These bridges will be crossed as and when we get to them, with the right way forward being determined by the circumstances at the time. It is also important to focus all our time and attention on the issue of the moment, namely securing the inclusion of Worgret Junction in Network Rail's Poole to Wool resignalling project. This really is key to our future, for the costs of doing the work at a later date as a 'standalone' project will be significantly higher. Furthermore, most if not all the other things that will need doing can be done in different ways depending on timescales - Worgret has no 'Plan B' to make it suitable for regular passenger operations.

In terms of the options to get the money, Mick Stone and I (and others from the PCRP) met Angus Campbell, leader of Dorset County Council last week to get a first hand read-out of where he is on this project given that DCC have the key role in pulling the finance together, which could be from a number of sources. Essentially, while not committing to anything, he is of the view that the money has to be found and that we should work on the basis of 'how' rather than 'if'. We got a detailed run down from Miles Butler (Director for Environment, which includes transport planning) as to the options being pursued and the viability of each. While some have recently been discounted, there are still two or three that do have real potential. He is also meeting with Richard O'Brien, Network Rail director for Wessex shortly to review the position. The meeting had a feeling of 'cautious optimism' about it.

Aside from the formal channels being pursued by the PCRP, we (the SR) are also in direct dialogue with Network Rail at a number of levels to ensure our views are being heard and that no stone is left unturned in our search for a way forward. It has to be said that they are being very helpful and constructive and are as keen as anyone for the project to succeed. I am pleased to say that we have also had confirmation that 'plain lining' the junction is not an option whatever happens.

On Friday 30th April, the SR was visited by the Shadow Transport Minister Theresa Villiers and prospective Tory MP Richard Drax. Hosted by Peter Sills, Mike Whitwam, Keith Gooding and Bill Trite, they were also very supportive of the project. The visit follows a visit by Jim Kinight and the Rt Hon Lord Adonis, Secretary of State for Transport, last year. It should be noted that this project is perhaps unique in having all-party support.

Some members have asked about donating money to the cause. We are not proposing to contribute directly to the Worgret project, this being beyond the Trust's charitable remit as well as our means in any material sense.  However, we still have a lot to do on our railway to take full advantage of the line to the junction, including the fitting out of the boundary signal box at Corfe and the upgrading of the branch beyond Motala which we hope will be transferred to our control in due course. Donations to the 'Project Wareham' fund are therefore still very much welcome - and needed - and can be sent to the usual Station House address (c/o Finance Dept) or via the web at http://www.swanagerailwaytrust.org.uk/appeals/

While we still have a very busy three months ahead, may I take this opportunity to thank all those who have taken the trouble to lobby in support of the project for doing so and to Mike Whitwam and Mick Stone for their work in fronting the project for the SR. Without doubt we are looking for money at a very difficult time for the country with every sign that whoever wins the election, purse strings are set to get tightened further. It is therefore even more important that we 'seize the day' and get the commitment we need sooner rather than later. The will is there on all sides, so there has to be a way.

Steve Doughty

Chairman

Swanage Railway Trust

1st May 2010

The Trust Council met in Swanage on Saturday 29th January. This was our first meeting of the year as the meeting scheduled to take place on 10th January had to be cancelled at short notice due to the snow. Here is a summary of the main points discussed:

It was with great sadness that we recorded the death of former Trust Council member and longstanding volunteer, Trevor Bagley.

During the open forum prior to the start of formal business we received a representation from Mick Hatton regarding this year's Great Dorset Steam Fair. We are pleased to confirm that a number of volunteers have confirmed that they are happy to assist in manning an official Swanage Railway stand at this year's event which takes place between the 1st and 5th September. If you are interested in helping out but have not yet come forward please contact Trust Council member Mike Stollery.

Everyone involved in the Herston track relaying project during the shutdown was praised for their work. In particular the project leaders Arthur Yarney and Barry Light.

We have agreed to enter into a formal lease of the rooms we rent from the Methodist Church at 103 High Street, Swanage. A management plan will be drawn up to maximise use and the Marketing Committee are also due to consider future printing requirements there.

The transition of the 71b.co.uk web pages to the SRT website is progressing and testing is taking place.

Rolling stock. Car 14 is due to be sent off-site to Ramparts for maintenance. If covered accommodation cannot be provided in the foreseeable future then the possibility of leasing the coach to another heritage railway will need to be considered. The SK(O) will hopefully enter traffic this Easter. Meanwhile overhaul of the Bulleid CK coach no. 5761 continues at Ramparts and a fresh appeal to members will be sent out in the near future. We are seeking quotes for the overhaul of the diesel shunter 'May' and are also looking into the restoration of the SR 'Walrus' hopper wagon. A quote received for the latter indicates that the cost would not be as high as we originally anticipated. The restoration of Bulleid TSO no. 1457 has however been deferred.

Finance. Trust and Company accounts for 2009 are due to be audited by our external auditors - Shipleys LLP - during March. We anticipate good net profit figures for the year but as always we must caution against complacency. The list of capital expenditure programmes is long and far exceeds any likely final profit figure!

The following list of designated funds has been reviewed and their ongoing allocation approved:

• Loan to SRC to facilitate the recovery of the Salisbury Water tower £25,000
• Cosmetic restoration of "May" £3,250
• Churchill Coach £8,319
• B Van (Sygnets fund) £1,650
• Norden Facilities £5,297
• Corfe Sidings £2,937
• Harman's Cross Building £15,000

We are pleased to confirm that the Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum Group (PMMMG) have successfully passed the first qualifying stage for an EU grant to aid their development at Norden. The experience gathered by this success will hopefully be used to good effect with future grant applications.

Following the success of last year's annual draw the Trust Council has decided to hold a grand draw in 2010. Proceeds will go towards the development of the new eight coach carriage shed at Herston South. Work on the ground works for the new shed will take place this spring with the structure itself not being built until 2011. Please support this year's draw in any way you can.

The Trust Council intends to issue long service awards to all staff (paid and volunteer) who have worked for the Railway for 25 years or more. We will be working closely with departmental managers in order to try and ensure that all qualifying colleagues are correctly identified.

Future CoM meeting dates have been revised as follows: 27th February - mini, 24th April - full, 22nd May - mini, 26th June - full, 31st July - mini, 21st August - full, 25th September - mini, 30th October - full, 27th November - mini and 8th January 2011 - full. Full meetings start at 2:00 pm and shortened 'mini' meetings at 4:00 pm.

Many Trust members and supporters of the Railway will have seen recent press reports regarding the need to urgently identify £3m of funding required by Network Rail for signalling and other infrastructure work in order to fully reconnect the Swanage branch to the national rail network. We wish to assure everyone that we are working very closely indeed with all levels of government - local and national - to try and ensure that the funding is found and the dream of regular train services between Swanage and Wareham becomes a reality once again.

Mark Woolley

Trust Secretary

Notes from the Trust Council meeting held in Swanage on Saturday 21st November:

A detailed internal communications strategy is being prepared which will be implemented early in 2010. Priority number one will be to ensure that, going forward, staff (paid & volunteer) and active Members are better notified of what is going on at a strategic and operational level on the Railway.

A feasibility study of future uses for the facility we rent from the Methodist Church at 103 High Street, Swanage, is taking place. At present we use the rooms there for printing leaflets and flyers and for storage.

A print cartridge recycling facility is to be provided by a company called Empty Cartridge Ltd. Pre-paid envelopes will be provided and sent with Swanage Railway Magazine to all Trust members. Commission will be paid to the SRT.

The model shop 'Harries and Wilson' in Swanage High Street has offered to sell items on the eBay auction website on behalf of the Trust. No commission payments will be due.

The annual draw, which took place on 1st November, raised a net profit of £8169. The Trust Council is very grateful to everyone who contributed to this and who helped sell tickets. We have agreed that the proceeds should be used to improve volunteer facilities at Swanage - notably the new shower\toilet block which is being installed on the former site of the Ops office adjacent to the coal dock.

The restoration of Bulleid CK coach no. 5761 is progressing well at off-site restoration company Rampart. A fresh appeal will be sent to all previous donors and an article is also being prepared for the national heritage railway press. The Trust Council hopes that two Bulleid coaches (4365 and 5761) will be available to use prior to the 2010 steam gala - a vast improvement on using a DMU set in the shuttle service!

The 2010 Members' Weekend will take place on 13th-14th March.

We have adopted an updated Memorial Policy and it is intended that the names of volunteers and members who are sadly no longer with us will be published in a commemorative on-line facility in the near future. A formal book of remembrance will also be introduced.

As part of the ongoing process of improving the Trust's internet site we intend to clone the unofficial 71b.co.uk website and incorporate it into the official SRT site. The popular forum facility will remain a key feature.

The use of contractors to build the proposed eight coach carriage shed at Herston South is no longer considered to be cost effective and the Trust Council has agreed in principle that the work should be carried out in-house directly by the Swanage Railway. Additional temporary paid staff could be hired and utilised if required. The principal objective during the January\February shutdown will be to carry out track renewals. Outstanding excavation work will then take place take place during weekdays before daily running commences. A detailed work plan is being evaluated by the General Manager with the intention of a full project plan being presented to the Board and Trust Council meetings on 9th January 2010.

We agreed in principle to the sale Metropolitan Cammell Pullman coach no. 347. The replacement SO coach is due back from Butterley following overhaul during February 2010.

B van S259S is to be sent to Cranmore for bodywork repairs. When returned to the Railway it will become the base for the Sygnets at Corfe Castle station..

We intend to progress the restoration of the diesel shunter 'May' during 2010. Any help here will be gratefully received.

The Trust Council has agreed that the OO gauge model railway layout located in Swanage station booking office can be loaned out but should not be sold but and must therefore remain a Trust asset.

A new Trust policy has been agreed which, in exceptional circumstances, will enable decisions to be made by e-mail or telephone between Trust Council meetings.

Full Trust Council meetings during 2010 will take place on the following dates: 9th January, 27th February, 24th April, 26th June, 21st August, 30th October.

The Trust Council wishes to thank everyone who has made 2009 a record breaking year for the Swanage Railway. We look forward to working with you in making 2010 an equally successful year.

Mark Woolley,

Trust Secretary

At our meeting held on 31st October Steve Doughty was elected Chairman of the SRT Council of Management and Liz Sellen was elected Deputy Chairman. The Trust's policies were amended and it was agreed that going forward the Trust Chairman should at all times be a director of the Swanage Railway Company. Peter Sills was subsequently appointed Chairman of the Swanage Railway Company (SRC). Steve Doughty and Liz Sellen were also co-opted as directors of the SRC. Please see the separate statement on the Trust's website for full details of this.

A full review of the Trust's policies documents took place and a number of changes made. The statement of principles regarding the future introduction of Swanage - Wareham train services was added to the document.

The purchase of BR Standard 2-6-4 locomotive no. 80078 by the Trust from Southern Locomotives Ltd was considered to be unaffordable and would not take place. The cost and practical considerations of overhauling the engine when its boiler ticket expired in late 2009 were now being assessed by the SRC. We are committed to retaining this locomotive at Swanage.

Other rolling stock - the overhaul of Bulleid coach no. 5761 was progressing well offsite at Ramparts in Derby. Additional funds to complete this coach were agreed by the Trust Council. We hope that two fully restored Bulleid coaches will be available for use at the 2010 steam gala. Ways of progressing the cosmetic restoration of the diesel shunter 'May' are being progressed and a detailed strategy for moving long term coach restoration projects to offsite storage at Wytch Farm is being drawn up. The SRC Board have confirmed that the Met Cam 'Pullman' no. 347 was likely to be surplus to requirements and its sale was being evaluated. One of the Class 108 DMUs is being sent off-site for light overhaul to include re-covering of all seats. The Council agreed that sufficient moquette should be purchased to finish the seats in both DMUs.

The Trust Council agreed that suitable new computer equipment should be purchased for use by the Library and Museum Group at Corfe Castle station.

A cost\benefits review of the premises the Trust leases at 103 High Street is taking place ahead of a decision on whether to sign a new three year lease there.

We endorsed the 200 Club's proposal that their next funded project should be the construction of a new waiting room on the down platform at Harmans Cross station.

It was agreed that the current five year Swanage Railway strategic plan (2006-2011) should be fully reviewed, updated and published internally on the Railway.

Following the granting of formal planning permission for the construction of an eight coach carriage shed at Herston South, detailed plans for the ground works and construction of the shed are being drawn up. It is hoped that work will commence in early 2010.

Mark Woolley

Trust Secretary

The 2009 SRT AGM took place on Saturday 10th October in the Mowlem Theatre, Swanage. A total of 146 members attended this year's SRT AGM - up from 125 last year.

Trust Council of Management Election

The number of ballot papers received in this year's election was 527 of which two were spoilt and the number of votes cast for each candidate was as follows:

David Budd                            -           313

Paul Clements                    -         220

Graham Cope                        -           294

Andrew Moore                      -           350

Clive Morris                           -           241

Pete Renaut                      -         234

Frank Roberts                        -           356

Liz Sellen                                -           414

Bryan Stanley                     -         186

Richard White                     -         238

Mike Whitwam                      -            399

Mark Woolley                        -            432

The following were therefore elected to the Council of Management for the following two years: Mark Woolley, Liz Sellen, Mike Whitwam, Frank Roberts, Andrew Moore, David Budd, Graham Cope and Clive Morris. The other eight current Trust Council members who were elected at the 2008 AGM are: Steve Barker, Doug Chick, Steve Doughty, Linda Moore, Peter Sills, Mike Stollery, Bill Trite and Andy Vincent

We wish outgoing Council of Management members Pete Renaut, Richard White and Nick Lloyd all the very best in future and thank them for their contribution during their time on the Council. Special thanks go to Pete who served on the CoM for no less than 20 years.

Turnout figures for the last 10 years of Council elections are:

2009 - 527

2008 - 565

2007 - 368

2006 - No election, only 6 nominations received

2005  - 563

2004 - 569

2003 - 425

2002 - No election, only 8 nominations received

2001 - 655

2000 - No election, only 8 nominations received

This year's turnout election was very close to the average of 525 but the Trust Council is conscious of the need to take steps to try and increase the number of members who take the time to vote One suggestion out forward from the floor at the AGM was to include photographs of candidates alongside election statements and this is something we will consider.

Action and discussion points arising from the AGM:

As usual there was a lively open forum after the completion of formal AGM business. The following points were among those raised and the Trust Council and SRC Board will certainly be considering these at their forthcoming meetings.

1. The need for vision from the CoM and unified leadership from both CoM and SRC Board
2. Creation of an SRT member's e-mail distribution list and circulate approved minutes of SRT CoM meetings.
3. Commission the SK(O) coach (for disabled persons) into traffic.
4. Introduce name badges - primarily for CoM members but also possibly for all departmental managers.
5. Conclude memorial policy and long service awards.
6. Introduce a roving microphone 'on the floor' at the 2010 AGM
7. Confirm our policy in respect of the 71b.co.uk internet forum.
8. Review the size of the CoM.
9. Update and publish the Strategic Plan.
10. Investigate the possibility of hiring out surplus coaches to other heritage railways.
11. Consider relocating the Birds Nest buffet coach to the picnic area at Swanage.
12. Better co-ordination of projects
13. Possible future attendance at the Great Dorset Steam Fair
14. Introduction of a Volunteer Handbook
15. Meal vouchers to encourage volunteers
16. Review SRC fare policy - in particular the withdrawal of OAP concessions and the price of rover tickets.

Same old faces?

It is perhaps interesting to note that during the last ten years, in addition to the current 16 CoM members, no fewer than 21 Trust members have served on the Council making a grand total of 37. Who says it's always the same old faces? Our thanks go to:

Trevor Bagley, David Buckle, Geoff Carter, Andrea Catt, Keith Gooding, Mike Hayne, Brian Langdown, Nick Lloyd, Bob McGaw, Tony Miller, Malcolm Munro, Bob Noble, Dave O'Neill, Bob Payne, Sue Payne, Pete Pickering, Pete Renaut, Stuart Ward, Richard Welham, Richard White and Don Wright.

Thankfully, many of these people continue to serve the Railway in various important ways today and we remember David and Don who sadly are no longer with us.

Date of 2010 AGM

Next year's SRT AGM will take place on Saturday 9th October 2010 again in the Mowlem Theatre, Swanage.

Mark Woolley

Trust Secretary

The Council of Management of the Swanage Railway Trust is pleased to announce that at its meeting on Saturday 31st October, Steve Doughty was elected as Chairman of the Trust and Liz Sellen as Deputy Chairman. Following the recent election the other serving Trust Council members are: Steve Barker, David Budd, Doug Chick, Graham Cope, Andrew Moore (Treasurer), Linda Moore, Clive Morris, Frank Roberts, Peter Sills, Mike Stollery, Bill Trite, Andy Vincent, Mike Whitwam and Mark Woolley (Secretary).

The Trust Council is very grateful to Mike Whitwam for his significant contribution during his time as Chairman - particularly in respect of Project Wareham and the success of the charter trains between London and Swanage this year. We are delighted to confirm that his valuable work in this important area will continue.

A review of the Board of Directors of the Trust's subsidiary, the Swanage Railway Company Ltd, has also been carried out. The Council is conscious of the fact that with the Swanage Railway now having a consolidated annual income of over £2 million the policy of the SRT Chairman also being Company Chairman was too onerous for one person and has led to a lack of focus between the very different functions of the Trust Council and the Company Board. As a result the Council is pleased to confirm that with immediate effect Peter Sills is appointed Chairman of the Swanage Railway Company. It is now Trust policy that the Chairman of the Council of Management should at all times be a director of the Company and as a result, Steve Doughty now rejoins the SRC Board. Steps have also been taken to further strengthen the Board with the appointment of Liz Sellen as a director. The Board is therefore now comprised as follows:

Peter Sills*, Geoff Carter, Steve Doughty*, Andrew Moore*, Liz Sellen*, Phil Thrower and Mike Whitwam*

In order to ensure a common sense of purpose, it remains Trust policy that at all times over 50% of the Company directors should also be members of the Council of Management (names indicated with an asterisk*).

The Council of Management is conscious that divisions within the management of the Railway have overshadowed achievements in recent months and is committed to ensuring that the new Council and Board structure will serve all the Railway's members and volunteers effectively in the coming months. As part of this we are committed to improving our communication methods at all levels. The Trust Council is also keen to enhance understanding of the organisational structure and the roles and responsibilities of both the Council and Company Board.

We are extremely grateful for the dedication and hard work contributed by everyone during what has been a record breaking year for the Railway.

Please refer any questions regarding the revised structure outlined above to any member of the Council of Management.

Mark Woolley

Secretary

The Swanage Railway Trust

1st November 2009

At its meeting on 19th September the Treasurer reported that Swanage Railway Company (SRC) trading figures continued to exceed expectations by a considerable margin and that over £500,000 was currently held on deposit. £200,000 of this would be placed in a high interest reserve account for use during the winter, i.e. as an alternative to borrowing.  Unfortunately it was noted that the anticipated cost of projects 'in the pipeline' more than exceeded the projected year end surplus!

Our external auditors, Shipleys LLP, have advised the Treasurer that the SRC could realise an annual net profit of approx. £200,000 without attracting Corporation Tax. A sum may therefore need to be covenanted to the Trust prior to the publication of the final year end accounts.

Despite the excellent figures the 2010 budget would be based on 2009 budget figures and not 2009 actuals.

The Trust has received notification of two legacies - one for £40,000, the other for legacy for £10,000.

Draft running agreements have been drawn up for Bulleid brake coach 4365 and Devon Belle Observation Car 14. These need to be further discussed as the concept of rental being the equivalent to annual depreciation would result in the SRC having to pay a charge of £10,000 per annum for Car 14 alone. The Council agreed that ensuring the long term maintenance and upkeep of the coach was the most important factor.  Discussions would continue.

Mike Stollery had circulated a report regarding outline proposals to restore Bulleid TSO coach 1457. He requested specific approval of his proposal that 1457 be moved to the Swanage goods shed road during November and that BG 92607 be made available to store parts located in 1457. It was agreed that this was highly desirable and that Mike should liaise with the General Manager who should arrange this if at all possible.

The Trust Council agreed that with work now progressing on the new siding at Corfe Castle station, restoration of a suitable van for use by the Sygnets should be given greater priority. The possibility of sending the SR 'B' van to Cranmore would be actively considered.

Fundraising. The annual draw had raised approx. £7,200 to date.

Membership & Volunteers. The Secretary confirmed that Anne Cargill had been selected as independent checker by the Trust's Returning Officer, Derek Montague. This was endorsed by the Council.

Position of Treasurer and forthcoming Trust Council election

The Treasurer, Andrew Moore, confirmed that he had resigned as a director of Southern Locomotives Ltd and Southern Locomotives Engineering Ltd.  The potential for a conflict of interest had troubled several Trust Council members at the August Council meeting during discussion of the appointment\re-appointment of Treasurer.  A number of Council members had subsequently abstained during the vote to re-appoint Andrew Moore. 

The Trust Council noted with great concern a recent e-mail circulated during the previous week to unknown recipients by Deputy Chairman, Graham Cope. This urged people not to vote for the Treasurer in the forthcoming Trust Council election and was very critical of the financial processes in place.

A large majority of Trust Council members felt that the e-mail was ill-judged and expressed concern that, as Deputy Chairman, Graham should have discussed any genuine concerns he had with the Council first rather than sending an e-mail of this nature. No such concerns had been raised during the appointment of Treasurer discussion at the August Council meeting.  It was felt that that the message brought the Council into disrepute, contained false statements about the Railway's financial systems and represented an unsubstantiated attack on Andrew Moore. Further concern was expressed that the e-mail used these concerns to canvass support for certain candidates at the coming Council election, but without their knowledge.  A small number of Trust Council members felt that, whilst controversial, the views expressed were acceptable in the context of free speech and that the Council needed to be careful how it distinguished between oral canvassing and written approaches.  However, the majority of Trust Council members did not share this opinion.

Both the Treasurer and General Manager indicated that they were satisfied that the SRC ordering procedures were robust.

A motion that: "The Trust Council confirms that it has confidence in the Treasurer and is satisfied with the standard of the Trust's accounting policies in terms of its annual financial budgeting, monthly management reporting and its statutory compliance. The Council further confirms its collective responsibility to its capital investment requirements and its long term strategic planning" was carried with 14 votes in favour, no votes against and two abstentions.

Following further discussion Graham Cope agreed to resign as Deputy Chairman of the Trust with immediate effect. With the AGM only being a month away it was agreed that the selection of his successor should wait until after then, i.e. the Trust Council meeting due to take place on 31st October.

Concern was expressed that the e-mail could potentially be circulated far beyond its initial distribution list and it was therefore agreed that both internal and external statements should be issued. The Secretary agreed to draft these.

Swanage Railway Company Board - position of Chairman

The Trust Council Chairman, Mike Whitwam, reported that at its meeting that morning the SRC Board had passed a motion of 'no confidence' in him. This was principally due to the fact that he had abstained from voting in favour of the SRT Treasurer\SRC Finance Director during his election at the 1st August Trust Council meeting.  The Chairman added that he had abstained due to uncertainty over the Treasurer's decision to resign as a director of Southern Locomotives Ltd.  Now that this had been confirmed he was happy to support the Treasurer, as shown by his support of the confidence motion referred to above.  He therefore felt that the motion of no confidence was uncalled for.

A number of Trust Council members expressed great concern at this development and the implications it raised in respect of the Trust's existing policy of the Trust Council and SRC Board Chairman being the same person. They felt that the Board should have referred any concerns to the Council instead of unseating the Chairman.

Other Trust Council members felt that, whilst the formally stated reason for the motion was the abstention, there was clearly a lack of general confidence in the Chairman amongst the other directors. This needed to be resolved as a matter of priority.

A face to face meeting between the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, agreed at the August Council meeting, had not yet taken place and the Treasurer expressed his great disappointment at this. He felt that this delay had only served to cause greater division which had culminated in the no confidence motion. The Chairman apologised for the delay which he stated had been unavoidable for personal reasons.

Following discussion the Trust Council agreed that it should note the motion of no confidence in the Chairman by the Board but that no further action should be taken until the first full Council meeting after the AGM (on 31st August).  It was hoped that the planned meeting between the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer would now take place as a matter of priority.  The meeting subsequently took place on 28th September.

Mark Woolley

Trust Secretary