Somerset Co-operative Community Lant Trust Ltd is a Community Benefit Society, registered with the Financial Conduct Authority under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 as a Community Benefit Society. Registration Number 30745R.
Governance and people
Somerset Co-operative CLT is a Community Benefit Society registered under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act, 2014.
Total number of shares
As of 2019 there was 559,199 in called up share capital. Somerset Co-operative CLT will be issuing a maximum of 534,000 additional shares, worth £1 each, through their current offer.
Next AGM
May 2021
People
The team
The Directors currently on the board of Somerset Co-operative CLT are listed below. They are all on the Board in a personal capacity.
All members who join SCCLT are eligible to stand for election to the Board of Directors.
Secretary / Business development manager
Alex Lawrie
Alex Lawrie is a founder member of two housing co-ops (Cornerstone and Stepping Stones), Footprint Workers Co-operative, the Ecological Land Co-op, GO-OP and Somerset Co-operative Services CIC. He led the team that developed the Somerset Rules, now used by 25 co-operatives including Somerset Co-operative CLT. Alex’s work for SCS CIC does sometimes give rise to conflicts of interest. These are recorded on our register of interests, and he does not take part in decisions that relate to SCS CIC. He studied politics at Leeds University, Fundraising and Training Skills at the DSC, and Planning for Real at the Neighbourhood Initiatives Foundation. He is a SFEDI accredited social enterprise advisor. He is the author of ‘Empowering the Earth’ (Green Books, 2000) and ‘Simply Finance’ (Co-ops UK, 2011). In 2017 he completed a Masters Degree in Strategy, Change and Leadership at Bristol University.
Chair
Alan Debenham
Alan is a Parish Councillor in Staplegrove, near Taunton, and was a Green Party Councillor on Taunton Deane BC. He held the seat for 18 years, sitting mainly on the housing and planning committees. His career has included teaching maths and science, and being a senior officer working for Somerset County Council.
He was a pioneer of communal living and social investment having been involved in the Ecological Land Bonds Scheme in the late 1970s and early 80s. In 1980 he lead the establishment of the Holme Place Community at Oakford in Devon, a housing co-operative with 20 members pursuing high selfsufficiency and a low environmental footprint.
Treasurer
Caitlyn Reynolds
Caitlyn Reynolds was for a period a tenant at 10 East Reach, and until recently worked for SCE CIC; she is now a full time student studying community development at degree level. Her background is in the health food and eco-friendly retail industry. She's also previously run her own business with a shop in environmentally friendly children's products and recycled products, and more recently in the book and music scene. She is a qualified holistic therapist and nutritionist - specialising in auto immune diseases.
Providing support for a previous partner's psychology degree has also given her a good grounding in the world of psychology and statistics. She plans to finally get her sociology degree which will eventually lead to a masters in gender studies with a focus on feminist bias.
Andy Burton
Andy Burton retired from full time employment in 2012 after 30 years leading a multi-purpose Charity and Community Business in South East London specialising in employment/enterprise and community development based on the reuse and refurbishment of disused property.
During that time Andy was a founder member of a number of initiatives including the local voluntary sector forum, small business loan scheme, transnational 6th form studies programme, various recycling initiatives and designed and managed a number of refurbished properties including an adult learning centre and computer repair and reuse centre.
Andy has recently served as a founder member of the local Unite Community Group, worked part-time as interim-manager for a local mental health charity and is currently a volunteer general adviser with Citizens Advice Sedgemoor.
Andy is particularly interested in supporting the potential to develop mixed use land and property providing sustainable resources and employment opportunities of benefit to the whole community across the county.
Barry Havenhand
Barry is a barrister living in Taunton who joined the Community Land Trust in 2018, as plans for the development of East Reach were taking shape, and was co-opted to the board in 2020 to support this latest share offer.
He has been a Somerset resident for over thirty years, fifteen in Taunton, and in his legal career has been a partner in a law firm employing over fifty people. He has served as a trustee on a local charity, and for twelve years (six as chair) was a school governor at a special school for children and young people with learning disabilities. His interest in education has also led him to chair school admission appeal panels for Somerset County Council.
His legal work has involved a number of landlord and tenant cases, including possession hearings. In addition, he has also been a private landlord managing two houses over eighteen years; during this time he has supported over a dozen tenants with no evictions.
Conflict of interest
The Board of Directors of SCCLT have a Register of Interests – and all Board members have declared their current interests. Board members are asked to inform their fellow directors of any new potential conflicts of interest.
When necessary, Board members acknowledge a potential conflict of interest, and remove themselves from that particular Board discussion and decision. Board members are encouraged to raise any potential conflicts of interest, if the person themselves has not previously acknowledged the potential conflict.
Directors' remuneration
There is no payment for Board members for being on the SCCLT Board of Directors. Reasonable out-of-pocket expenses are paid in appropriate circumstances – such as travel expenses when a Board member is representing SCCLT at an event.
Board members do not stand to gain financially from this share offer.
Directors' holdings
Each Director holds a £1 share.
Employee satisfaction
SCCLT does not currently report on employee satisfaction.
Diversity
1 out of 5 directors are female.
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