BUILDING OUR TEAM TOGETHER: YOU ANSWERED THE CALL

When we asked the community to step up and help build CAofP's capacity, you responded beautifully. We're thrilled to share the positive momentum that's transforming how we serve Poundbury.

The most visible change is at board level, where Sue and Jerry Cooke have joined as directors. After contributing countless volunteer hours throughout 2023, 2024 and 2025—from member management and noticeboards to market stalls and Poundbury Good Things—they've now taken on formal leadership roles. Jerry becomes our Secretary, managing governance and membership administration, while Sue steps in as Procedures Director, overseeing financial reporting and developing the procedures to continue to support our growth. Both bring significant management experience and the kind of organisational expertise that makes things run smoothly behind the scenes.

But the growth doesn't stop there. New volunteers have come forward to take on doggy bag dispenser monitoring, noticeboard management, issues tracking, and community organisation support. These roles are vital to keeping our community running well and responding to the everyday things that matter to residents.

We'll be sharing more about these brilliant volunteers and their work in coming weeks.

With over 725 members now, expanding initiatives like Poundbury Good Things and our photography competition, and the ambitious goals in our Strategic Plan 2026, we needed exactly this kind of response. You're giving us the capacity to deliver on you the community asked for during the Big Conversation and Consultation.

Our board now has five directors—Zoe Bell as Chair, Tim Wilmot as Communications Director, Graham Chapman as Strategic Advisor Director, Sue as Procedures Director, and Jerry as Company Secretary. All five will stand for election at our Annual General Meeting on 21 May, giving members the opportunity to confirm this structure for the next year.

Once the new board has settled into these roles, we'll likely call for additional directors in the second half of the year to help oversee events, fundraising, and stakeholder management going forward. But for now, we're focused on making the most of the capacity you're already helping to build.

Thank you to everyone who's stepped up, whether at board level, in specialist volunteer roles, or through the countless small contributions that keep CAofP thriving. This is what community looks like—and we're genuinely excited about what we can accomplish together.

For our Articles, including rules on Board Appointments, click here

For other informationon the CAofP team and governance information, visit our Governance page