A VOLUNTEER has been ‘kicked off’ a community group’s committee, just a week-and-a-half after being appointed.

A VOLUNTEER has been ‘kicked off’ a community group’s committee, just a week-and-a-half after being appointed.

During a Langley Neighbourhood Forum meeting on Tuesday, June 23 – attended by The Observer – members of the forum’s committee were re-elected, while it was also put to the group that one more committee member was needed.

During the re-appointment of Eleanor Cryer, forum chairman, Sharon O’Reilly, a NHS public governor, objected to the decision.

However, Shin Dhother, secretary, informed the meeting this could not be counted, as objections had to be made three days in advance and so was not ‘correct procedure’.

When the opening for a new committee member was voiced, a current committee member pointed at Mrs O’Reilly and suggested that she should take up the position, continuing to encourage her when she voiced doubts. Mrs O’Reilly, who is heavily involved in volunteer work, said: “I was cajoled into putting my hand up and I said that I was too busy with my volunteer work at the hospital. But as I’m a resident and I care about the community I thought ‘I’m big enough to put my hand up about objecting to Eleanor so I’m big enough to put my hand up and join’. I thought it would be good to represent younger people on the committee.” This decision was then endorsed by two members of the meeting. No mention of incorrect procedure on the process was made.

But, on Friday, July 3, more than a week later, Mrs O’Reilly was told by forum secretary Shin Dhother she could no longer continue in the position and received a house visit the following day by him and Graham Jones, forum vice-chairman, to confirm this. Mrs O’Reilly added: “They came round and said I had no job to stand down from because procedure was not followed correctly according to section 19 of their constitution. I’m very confused how 10 members of the committee allowed me to join and then it took a week-and-a-half to tell me that actually, I couldn’t. Nobody else wanted the position – I should have surely been given it on default.” Mr Dhother said this week he was ‘hoping someone else from the committee would put their hand up and say something’ at the meeting about the process of Mrs O’Reilly’s appointment. He added: “We are not experts, we’re not professionals, we’re normal people trying to help the community and we’re doing it voluntarily.” Mrs Cryer said: “I have no comment. This is the business of the Langley Neighbourhood Forum.”