FORS

For those that do not know Friends of Ramsgate Seafront was formed by a small group of people who were concerned about the ongoing building site on the seafront at Ramsgate. The rumour at the time was the freehold was being handed over to SFP Ventures (UK) Ltd the current owner of the site.
I got involved in the steering group and helped with the petitions which ultimately forced TDC to give up that idea.
During the hiatus in the autumn of 2013 when several members of the steering group decided to take a step back a meeting occurred in Kandy's house and all present agreed to constitute the group. This constitution was the agreed format straight off the Charity Commissioners website. When it was ready and checked by a member with experience in setting up groups a meeting took place at the Belgium Bar where a committee was put together with Bayo as Chair, Duncan Smithson as Secretary and myself as Treasurer.
We then went to Natwest in Ramsgate High Street to get a Community bank account. Now despite the lies told by Kandy we provided the passport and utility bill identification to the Ramsgate Branch and that included Kandy herself. In no way did we set up an out of town bank account as she has stated. Natwest has a central branch in Chatham to administer all Community accounts but the local branch is more than happy to administer issues.

In January the newly constituted group decided to hold a music Festival in May and Kandy and Duncan Smithson were the organisers. They completed several forms and Kandy and Duncan went to the Safety Advisory Group and presented to the TDC officers, Police, and Fire Brigade. However on the Thursday (17th April) before Easter 2014 with around 5 weeks to go Duncan had a hissy fit and walked away from the organising. Kandy pleaded with me to take over as (we found out at the debrief) we were about to have the Festival pulled on Health and Safety grounds.
I was presented with a massive problem as Duncan had completed the Festival Plans with details like the St John's Ambulance for First Aid who hadn't even been booked.

When questioned Duncan's reply was very clear:

"Subject: St Johns ambulance

On form “Step 2_Event Management Plan_v4 2” sent to Kandy and me you have filled in St John’s to supply 1^st aid cover. Do you have an email confirming their booking and number of staff and equipment to be supplied. Have you a contact name and number so I can top & tail this form

Barry"

"To: Barry James
Cc: 'kandice jones'
Subject: Re: St Johns ambulance

No. It was just put down for a name."

With this grief and only 5 weeks to go it was a daunting task and I devoted 5 weeks of my life to getting the Festival on completing many risk assessments and action plans, organising the funding, the Licences and all other aspects of the event and it became a huge success and rightfully the others in the team were rightfully thanked for such a successful event.

I do find it ironic that today looking back Duncan Smithson, who had left FORS in the lurch, now seems to be friends with Kandy and me who did so much for FORS and Kandy personally, including taking her to the hospital when she broke a bone in her hand, then taking her for follow up visits over several weeks am treated with such hatred. It makes me wonder just why I do these things for people who seem so ungrateful.

Now Kevin, who just happens to be Kandy's partner should know better seeing as he wanted to punch Duncan's lights out when he left the Festival in the lurch.

Further from yesterday we have this comment on FB from the 20th February 2015 after Kandy had abused me and my wife outside 7 Hibernia

To take each part in turn

I apologised to FORS for not getting pleasurama to parliament wtf hes been slagging me off on other sites im not part of.

Absolute bollix as I was defending her stance and explaining to her detractors on NNF why she had posted. Now I have no way of knowing who on NNF told her about the post and my comments but I can guess seeing as this person is now using her trusted position to manipulate Kandy to take over FORS. Still as they say not my problem.

canoodling up to councillors

Now this is really funny seeing as she said to me in January "I'm glad you can negotiate with the Council as all I want to do is stab them in the face " This is not a clever way to discuss things as you might understand. Also its hypocritical as these same Councillors awarded FORS £7000 to put on the Festival.

allowing them on FORS

Bullshit only Mike Harrison was asked to come into the FB page by me to answer questions on his Portfolio

allowing them to sign up as constituted members

sorry then why did you agree when the Greens were asked to join the constituted group

ruining our funding potential etc dealt with here http://promote-ramsgate.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/fors-era-winterstoke.html

The rest is just a further example of the screaming fits Kandy seems to find necessary which has happened on more than one occasion,

What really upset me was the phone call from Kandy screaming at me in the afternoon of the 4th Feb just after we had returned from an all night session in A&E QEQM with mum having been diagnosed with Pneumonia. Her apology at 4:44am on the 5th Feb said:

I'm sorry barry.I should never had argued with you. None of that post was aimed at you. I am sorry they wrote to you not me.X and I am sorry to debs too"

That apology was not genuine because the post above shows she never meant a word. And after the screaming session on the 20th I decided enough was enough and I left the Facebook page, I just want to make it clear I have never resigned from the Constituted group and as far as I am aware I am still a member of the group and as far as I am aware because I haven't resigned I am entitled to see minutes of the various meetings of the committee.

There is much more that has been said to me and my wife including the secret video taken during the visit from the FORS Mafia when they called for the treasurers stuff which had already been handed over. Something I, and many others, find underhand immoral and dishonest

FORS, ERA, & Winterstoke

Now I am safely moved to Southampton I feel it is time to post some facts about the winding up of the Eastcliff Residents Association, subject of much debate on the FORS Facebook page.

Further I think it time to put my story out there seeing as Kandy Jones has accused me of colluding with RTC Councillors in stopping the Friends of Ramsgate Seafront from having the ERA wind-up money placed in their bank account and having control of its use.

 This conversation took place on the 20th February 2015 just after Kandy had a screaming fit at me outside 7 Hibernia  Street where I had gone to get a FORS cheque countersigned. She also abused verbally my wife who had accompanied me for no apparent reason except she was in the car with me. More about this in the next blog however this screenprint shows clearly that Kandy accuses me of "ruining our funding potential for Eastcliff by saying to Councillors the funds will be used to promote a non signed member" Kandy knows this to be a complete nonsense as the incident she refers to occurred in October 2014 and was dealt with by myself at the time and she was kept fully in the picture at the time. So Kandy is not averse to lying to people on Facebook to big herself up and in a strange way her manipulations is symptomatic of those who are so involved in conspiracy they forget its easy to expose a lie.





The history of FORS constituted group's involvement with the ERA windup goes back to the beginning of 2014 then in April 2014 David Green confirms that TDC officers have no issue with the funds transferring to FORS. In June 2014 a series of emails from TDC, Rick Everitt and David Green were sent to me confirming there were no strings attached to the money.

So now FORS were just waiting for the windup meeting to occur so that the money could be paid to FORS with one proviso the money would be spent at Eastcliff.
So you can imagine my surprise when I get a private message from Paul Warrick on the 29th October 2014 as follows
"Barry - re the ERA money. We asked the opinion of Dave Green, Liz Green and Rick Everett and whilst 2 of them seemed to agree we should give Ramsgate Arts £1k and FORS £5k we received an email yesterday from Rick Everett (below). We (Chris Welch and I) just want to give the money to be spent on the Eastcliff to the most appropriate body. We don't want to be later accused of mis-handling the situation. Can you shed some light onto Rick's opposition to you getting it?
His message: "I am wary of giving the money to FORS at this stage. I know they have a constitution, but I am unclear about to what extent they might intervene in the local elections next year and I don't think it would be acceptable for this money to be used to fund a political campaign, for example."

I immediately rand Rick to find out what and who was the problem to be told Duncan Smithson was the issue.
After I confirmed Duncan wasn't even a member of the FORS committee Rick seemed satisfied.

Kandy was told of the messages and we had a laugh about it.

There have been no other incidents of this type so why this is still an issue for Kandy I have no idea as is also the fact that I have no personal knowledge of any other reason as to why know the ERA Committee paid the money into RTC so that constituted groups could apply for the just over £5000.

So cynical people might look at the current position and make up of the FORS Committee and the fact that in January 2015 I announced my move to Southampton and another would have to become treasurer. Some might think the events are linked some might not however what is clear between November 2014 and February 2015 ERA lost confidence that FORS could be trusted.

More to follow