Estate Committee

Introduction

Ruskin Park House Limited is managed on behalf of all residents by an elected body, the RPH Committee of Management, all of whom are volunteers resident on the estate. The Committee is an executive and decision-making authority. Elections are held annually at the Annual General Meeting of shareholders each owner occupier household at Ruskin Park House having 1 vote.

Contributing to Ruskin Park House community

Volunteers at RPH - Shareholders are invited to stand for election; the committee especially benefits from people with skills in property management, finance, HR and communication skills. Alternatively residents are actively encouraged to volunteer on one of the working groups.

Committee and working groups

Committee Remit: To take care of the strategic management of Ruskin Park House and its finances.

Meets in plenary each month, is attended by the Estate Manager, and is supported by each of the following working groups (Please use the links below to view remits for committee working groups.):

Staffing Working Group (Chair Tony Farsky)

Remit about to go under revision

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Communications Working Group (Chair Sarah Westwood)

Aim: To identify resource efficient strategies to promote effective communications between the Committee of Management and residents.

Objectives
  1. To identify means for residents’ interests, concerns and ideas to be considered by the Committee (or its representatives)
  2. To identify means to ensure that residents know what the Committee is doing on their behalf and why
  3. To facilitate the increased use of electronics communications
  4. To engage the support of residents in the running of RPH and encourage active involvement
  5. To ensure implementation of approved ideas within timeframes to be agreed

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Environmental Working Group (Chair Tom May)

Aim: To identify, evaluate and help implement strategies to make RPH more environmentally sustainable and resource-efficient

Objectives
  1. To identify, evaluate and advise the Committee, by the next AGM, on ways to make RPH more resource-efficient generally
  2. To advise on longer term solutions to the current heating and hot water provision specifically
  3. To promote ways of reducing RPH’s environmental impact (e.g. recycling, composting etc)
  4. To investigate ways of either generating income or reducing cost, where appropriate, for each of the above objectives

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Finance Working Group (staffed by the Committee)

Remit
  1. To monitor expenditure during the year.
  2. To establish the major long-term and short-term liabilities other than everyday running costs facing RPH Ltd (eg. renewal of Estate infrastructure), and to recommend a plan for funding them on a scheduled basis and a contingency arrangement for funding them on an emergency basis.
  3. To have particular regard, when formulating this plan, to capital investment that will cause subsequent ongoing costs to be reduced.
  4. To review projections of everyday running costs prepared by the Estate Manager and ensure optimum value for money.
  5. To consider budget proposals, reflecting such principles for funding everyday running costs and plans/contingency arrangements for funding major liabilities as may be agreed by the Committee, and to recommend a service charge requirement accordingly.
  6. To explore alternative sources of income and to recommend options for additional income generation for action by the Committee.
  7. To receive the reports of the internal and external auditors, other than the annual presentation of the audited accounts (which is delivered directly to the Committee), and refer to the Committee as appropriate.
  8. To undertake such other finance-related tasks as may be requested by the Committee.

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Gardening Working Group (Chair Lesley Powell)

Aim: To work with the estate manager to provide direction and a cohesive policy for the estate grounds and to assist in its implementation and maintenance.

Objectives
  1. To address conservation issues including environmental sustainability
  2. To consult with others to identify any further grants which may be available for development of the grounds
  3. To clear and regenerate identified beds
  4. To identify further plantings required and cost-effective sources
  5. To prepare a budget for Committee approval
  6. To investigate the viability and cost of installing water butts
  7. To maintain and encourage further composting efforts
  8. To encourage resident input and recruit further volunteers

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