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On several occasions I have either directly created
or sponsored some major advances:-
- The Savings Club at the Findhorn Foundation. In
1983, the Foundation was in considerable financial difficulties,
with a debt to the bank of about £500,000. I realised
that the community members probably had similar assets in their
accounts at the same bank, and that we could "cut out the
middle man" by forming a Savings Club. I did some research
on Credit Unions, and made the initial proposal for an organisation
which became a great success, with funds of £400,000 on
loan to the Foundation at 8% interest, with members receiving
6% from the club.
- At Henry Butcher and Co, I created a series of Collective
Auction Sales for studios and dealers in the video and audio
industries. These customers had equipment to sell, but not enough
for their own seperate sales. I researched the potential for
this, proposed it to the senior partners, set up the relevant
systems, and carried out a series of five sales, which led to
several other highly profitable projects for the firm. Due to
rapid obsolescence in these media industries, this type of work
is no longer profitable. Many of these contacts were at Director
level.
- As Chair of the Epsom Common Association, I have
sponsored and facilitated the following:-
- A process of participation with Epsom and Ewell
Borough Council officers, leading to a joint management forum
for Epsom Common (which is a SSSI of 450 acres, while our association
has 400 members). The process of participation has not been
easy for some of the Council's staff, but is beginning to show
results - creating improved channels for our input to the Council,
and informing us of any decisions which affect the Common.
- We have set up our own volunteer group to carry
out small scale environmental improvements to the Common for
particular habitats and species, and co-operating with existing
BTCV and Wildlife Trust groups.
- A grazing project has been set up, using cattle
for conservation grazing in the summer months. This has been
a great success and is now in its 5th year. The general problem
for Epsom Common is the growth of scrub and woodland on land
which has traditionally been open and grazed by animals, and
had richer wildlife then. This re-introduction of cattle is
both very popular and very successful in ecological terms.
- The Aims and Goals of the Association have been
re-defined and adopted by a full meeting of the Association
- I have successfully handed over the running of the
Association to an excellent team.
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