What is We Love Marlborough? A community partnership which supports arts and culture in the Marlborough area.
What are its aims?
• To support Marlborough in being a dynamic place to live, work and visit, through fun and contemporary arts and culture.
• To support the sustainability of Marlborough amateur and professional arts, culture and community organisations.
• To develop, encourage and support Marlborough arts, culture and community events audiences and participants.
What does it do?
• Operates the We Love Marlborough website: promotes local arts and cultural events through the what’s on guide, monthly newsletter and more, and features a member’s section with arts news and information.
• Organises arts and cultural events in partnership with other Marlborough area organisations.
• Brings people and organisations together through networking events.
• Provides a business support service specific to arts and culture, such as marketing, publicity, PR and personal coaching.
• Promotes Marlborough area arts and culture regionally and nationally.
Who can join? We welcome anybody who lives in the Marlborough area and who is involved - or wants to get involved - in the arts and culture. Clubs, companies and associations may also join.
Why should you join? Join if you want to get involved in any way with arts in the Marlborough area. We Love Marlborough is a co-operative so it needs active involvement from its members. You may want to stand for election to the committee of management or production team.
How is it organised? We Love Marlborough is a not-for-profit Industrial & Provident Society registered with the Financial Services Authority. It is also a registered co-operative. Membership is open to anybody in the Marlborough area who wants to use its services or wishes to participate in any of We Love Marlborough's activities. If you are willing and able to serve on the committee we encourage you to stand for election at the annual general meeting. If are able to commit skills relevant to the service that We Love Marlborough provides then we welcome applications to join the production team. We Love Marlborough also needs volunteers to help with the events it stages. Please also contact the production team if you are interested in work experience.
What does it cost to join? It costs £1 to join. This gives you one share in the co-operative, and allows you a vote at general and special meetings, one member, one vote. Your personal liability is limited to £1. Please see ‘membership information’ for more details.
Where does it get its money? At the moment the majority of the income is in the form of grants from funding bodies such as the Arts Council and The National Lottery. Over the next few years We Love Marlborough will increase its income from organised events and marketing its services.
What happens at general meetings?
All members are encouraged to attend general meetings. The Annual General Meeting is held on the last Friday of September. Its main purposes are:
1 Presentation of accounts and balance sheet
2 Election of Committee Members
3 Application of profits
4 Changes to rules and plans for the coming year.
Special General Meetings may be held at other times as needs arise.
What does the Committee do? The Committee of Management is elected each year by and from the membership. It meets regularly throughout the year and manages the activities of We Love Marlborough, mainly through the Production Team. The current committee members are: Anna Sexton (Chair), Diana Turnbull (Secretary), John Yates (Treasurer), Louisa Davison, Peter Davison and Louise Rennie. (Committee Members also constitute the IPS “Board of Directors”)
What does the Production Team do? The production team is appointed by the committee. They carry out the day-to-day activities of We Love Marlborough and are currently paid by a six-monthly equitable distribution of We Love Marlborough funds left after project costs and overheads. We have identified that the main production team tasks are as follows:
Provision of Services Maintain/update website Organise and run arts events Organise and run performance events Organise and run networking meetings PR and publicity service
Secretarial Maintaining membership register Scheduling meetings Producing and circulating minutes Legal matters Other correspondence
Strategic Management Long-range planning Formulating funding and other policy Public relations
Financial Funding applications Invoicing customers Paying suppliers Financial planning, management and reporting Distribution of surplus
If you are willing and able to commit your time to carrying out any of the above tasks, then contact us. The current production team consists of: Louisa Davison (Team Leader), Diana Turnbull, John Yates (Financial), Anna Sexton, Peter Davison, Louise Rennie.
What was the turnover for 2007/8? £13,276. We Love Marlborough also raised money through other organisations - such as Kennet Valley Arts Trust - to fund partnership projects.
How does WLM fulfil its education and training responsibilities? We Love Marlborough is currently applying for funding to support education and training. We Love Marlborough supports understanding of cooperatives with new members, and supports committee members and production team members with their new tasks and responsibilities.
