News

BLUETONGUE UPDATE - 6TH JANUARY 2009

There were 149 confirmed premises affected by Bluetongue (BTV8) in England and Wales on the 5th January 2009.

On the 18th December 2008 post import testing has detected BTV8 infection in 12 imported cattle on a premises near Crewe. These animals originated from within the BTV8 restricted zone in France.

You can download the updated version of the UK Bluetongue Control Strategy for 2009 and also all the up to the minute information regarding licences amd movement restrictions from the DEFRA website by following the DEFRA link on this page

Links: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/bluetongue/latest/

http://www.nfuonline.com?x26679.xml

If we all act now we may be able limit the damage caused by this serious threat.

DON’T HESITATE – VACCINATE!

 

RBST GENE BANK RAM SEMEN COLLECT 2008/2009

DO YOU HAVE A RARE BREED RAM? THEN THE RBST NEED YOUR HELP!

Despite semen collection from rams under the National Scrapie Plan (NSP) finishing in March 2008, RBST are still working to collect ram and male goat semen from breeds on the RBST Watchlist this season (2008/09). RBST started these collections in 2002, following the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak in 2001 and collections are ongoing. Last year's FMD and Bluetongue outbreaks further highlighted the need to continue to work together to conserve our rare breeds by collecting semen as well as by breeding live animals.

The aim of the RBST semen collection project is to collect from 25 unrelated rams of each breed, to represent the widest genetic diversity available in the current population. The RBST welcomes nominations of registered rams for consideration, and would like your help to pass on our message to ram owners and breeders, that the RBST ram semen project is still ongoing, and needs more rams to be put forward.

Please download a copy of the updated information pack for the RBST ram semen collection project, and copies of postcards explaining about the project. For further information please email Claire Barber claire.barber@rbst.org.uk or telephone the RBST on 0247669 6551

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PORTLAND SHEEP BREEDERS GROUP

MINUTES OF THE AGM HELD ON FRIDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER 2008

HELD AT THE MELTON AND BELVOIR ROOM, MARKET TAVERN, MELTON MOWBRAY AT 6 P.M.


Committee Members Present: John Garratt Jim Gardner Tessa Hucklesby Biddy Roche
Fiona MacKenzie Kate Kershaw Robert Robarts

PSBG Members Present: Pat Garratt Shaun Smith Tony Henri Steve Peberdy
Andrew Warde Jane Warde Lawrence Alderson

There was a total of 14 members present.

1. APOLOGIES Sheila Wellman, John & Norma Sanders, Jean-Mary Crozier, Norman & Michelle Jones, Esther Perks, Steve Gould, Justin Coke

2. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING
The Minutes of the last AGM, which was posted to all members prior to this meeting, were agreed.

3. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
Our Chairman, John Garratt outlined a number of points that appear in his report with the first being the approval of the revised Constitution which now makes it more straight forward to change such things as the Breed Standard, and quite recently the date of the Financial Report, so that it now ties in more appropriately with the AGM. The agreement made at the last AGM to spend some of the Breed Group’s accumulated funds on improving the website. This has now been achieved and John thanked Tessa, Fiona and Jo Jones for all the hard work in getting the new website up and running. The Breed Stand has also been an asset to the Breed Group, and this year had won first prize at the Three Counties Show in June, having been taken there by Michelle and Norman Jones with the help of Tessa Hucklesby. Michelle and Norman had also taken the Breed Stand to Sheep 2008 at Malvern. In August Tessa and Fiona MacKenzie had taken the Breed Stand to the Festival of Native and Traditional Breeds at Brinkworth House. Tessa has brought the Breed Stand to Melton Mowbray this weekend and from here Jim Gardner and Justin Coke will be taking it to the Dairy Event at Stoneleigh next week. Getting the Breed Stand to the right place at the right time is thanks to the hard work of the people mentioned.
The event at Hogchester farm was a great success and a further event will be organised for the coming year. Status documents have now been updated. John voiced his disappointment in the disbanding of the Combined Flock Book Membership Panel, which had only been set up earlier this year. (Please see Chairman’s Report for further details on this). John thanked the Committee and everyone else for the support he has had over the last three years.

The Chairman’s Report is attached to these minutes and will also be posted on the website.

4. SECRETARY’S REPORT
Our Secretary, Tessa Hucklesby had informed the meeting that it had been a very productive year. The revamping of the website and the updating of the Status Documents were very satisfying. We can now update show lists, judges etc by word processor and email or post these to Committee members. The website has also been a great success, and Tessa thanked Fiona MacKenzie and Jo Jones for all their hard work. More photos, articles and suggestions please for the website. Tessa is stepping down as Secretary but will carry on with further improvements to the website and also the ‘shows and events’ side of things with a view to building a good relationship with show organisers. Tessa mentioned the importance of these events in promoting Portland sheep to members of the public. She also will support our new secretary in very way she can. She thanked everyone for their support over the last 4 years.

5. TREASURER’S REPORT
Everyone had been handed a copy of the Audited Accounts. There is no comparison with last year because this year the accounts were only for nine months. This was to bring it in line with the AGM. There was an overspend of £126 which is similar to last year. There are 128 members, 14 in the north, 18 central, 20 east, 16 southeast, 18 south and 42 west. The membership looses and gains around 20 members in a year and membership numbers are similar to last year. There is a better membership spread than in the past with more members north of the M4. Cheque no. 246 made payable to the Cart and Horses had not presented probably due to them changing hands. Andrew Warde asked if we had listed the stock. Jim confirmed that the stock was mainly for members and was only in the region of £70. We do have a list of assets including cups etc., which are present in the Status Documents. The Audited Accounts reflected mainly a Profit and Loss account. It was suggested by Andrew Warde that a list of assets appear with the audited accounts and those present agreed that this should be done.


6. NEWSLETTER EDITOR’S REPORT
Our newsletter editor Sheila Wellman was unable to attend the AGM but asked the Secretary to speak on her behalf. Sheila would like to thank all members for their input and also for getting articles etc to the editor on time. As always more photos and articles etc gratefully received. Once again any person wishing to receive the newsletter by email would save the Group around £3 per copy.

7. ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE
Though the Committee members had already been nominated for the new Committee, Andrew Warde’s offer to become a member of the Committee was welcomed and will be discussed in more detail how this can achieved at the next meeting.
The new elected officers were as follows:
Chairman: Fiona MacKenzie
Secretary: Andrew Jenkins
Treasurer: Esther Perks
New elected members were Robert Robarts and Steve Gould.
The meeting was then taken forward by Fiona MacKenzie our new Chairman who thanked John Garrett for all his hard work in revising the Constitution, Jim Gardner for his knowledge, good sense and long service as Treasurer and Tessa Hucklesby for her input into the website and the updating of the Status Document. She also hoped that they would still be able to contribute to the Breed Group in the future.

8. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
The timing of the AGM was discussed and suggestions of holding it at the Annual Event were mentioned, as there is always a high attendance at these events. However, the timing of the Annual Accounts was limited by the date that the bank statement is received by the Treasurer, and Jim informed the meeting that a charge of £10 was levied for an unscheduled statement. This put limitations on the timing of the AGM. The possibility of changing the date for receiving this particular statement will be looked into by Tessa.

Fiona mentioned to the meeting that there was no fleece competition at Melton Mowbray this year. It was suggested that this could perhaps be held at an event where there was a higher concentration of members. This will be discussed further at the next Committee meeting.

Tessa suggested that there should be a nominated person who would promote Portland sheep by displaying the Breed Stand at local shows and events, as there will be fewer people in the foreseeable future available to do this. They need not necessarily have sheep but knowledge of the breed and an enthusiastic approach would be an asset. However, travelling costs may need to be met. Robert Robarts informed the meeting that there was an older breed stand in existence but it was out of date and in poor condition. This matter will be discussed at the next Committee meeting.

Tessa also brought up the question of updating the Breed leaflet, as some of the information was now out of date. This will be discussed further at the next Committee meeting.

MEETING ENDED AT 7.11pm

TDH AGM Sept 2008