Dear Members,
We hope this message finds you well. We are writing to you today with some important news about recent events that have impacted our beloved society.
At the beginning of this year, we embarked on the lengthy process to relocate each carriage of our unit, 315856, to its new home at the Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway (LMMR) in Wales having spent a brief stint in store at the Dean Forest Railway (DFR). To facilitate this, we engaged the services of Reid Freight, entrusting them with the safe and secure transportation of our unit, which they have done so excellently.
Since then, the unit has been proudly preserved with regular visits from the committee and members alike, and will continue to do so for many years to come.
Regrettably, we have been confronted with a situation that has caused a significant setback to our organization. Earlier this summer, we received a court summons from Reid’s, asserting that the funds allocated for their services were never received.
Upon further investigation it was discovered
that one of our founding members, Peter O’Brien, has been suspected of embezzled the designated funds for personal gain.
The summons has since been paid in full, and has unfortunately come out of the personal funds of our Chairman and Vice Chairman, David Silman and Mike Townsend, respectively.
We understand the gravity of this situation and the shock it may cause to everyone. Our committee have taken swift action to engage with the Police and commence legal action, of which we aim to pursue a criminal and civil conviction.
Mr O’Brien has been removed from our organization, and we are committed to pursuing all avenues to rectify this situation.
We must stress that for our members this will most certainly not come at any further cost to you, as the outstanding balance has now been paid.
In light of these unforeseen circumstances, we are aware that our activities, some social media and email correspondences have come to a temporary halt.
We deeply regret any inconvenience or disappointment this may cause, and we are actively exploring options to resume our preservation efforts as swiftly as possible.
In addition, our bank account is currently inactive, and we aim to provide details of our new account in due course. Please do not send any funds to any bank details we have provided in the past.
We want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support and dedication to the Class 315 Preservation Society. Your passion and commitment are the lifeblood of our organization, and we are confident that, together, we will emerge from this challenge stronger and more determined than ever.
We will continue to keep you informed of any significant developments as they unfold. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us on our Facebook group.
Thank you for your understanding, and please know that we remain resolute in our mission to
preserve the legacy of 315856 for generations to come. We are down, but not out, and lessons have been learned to ensure this cannot happen again.
Please note that the society GMail account is no longer active and has been temporarily been
replaced by [email protected].
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