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1 Meeting House Management Committee Agenda 2025-11-17
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2 Monday 27 November, 5.15 p.m., in 7 Victoria Terrace
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3
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4 * Attendance: JP Ascher, Rachael Fitzgerald, Chris Jardine, Katrina
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5 McCrea (via Zoom), Laragh Quinney (via Zoom), Sammi Searle, Henry
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6 S. Thompson, Andy Tucker, Duncan Wallace
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7
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8 * Matters Arising
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9 * Suggestions from Local Meeting (LM)
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10 * Blankets
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11 *Action HST* to inform LM: Done, and acknowledged by Juliet
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12 Henderson (JH, co-Clerk to LM)
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13
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14 * Unpaid leave for Eliza Giles 3 months in August-November 2026: EAPPI
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15 We now have firm dates: 12th August to 9th November 2026.
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16
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17 * 2026 Room Hire pricing
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18
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19 *Action* HST and Managers to share a proposal wrt rates from
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20 January 2026 with RF and DW by 10 November for review: Done, but
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21 not until 12 November, delay was HST's fault.
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22
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23 *Action* RF to share the local comparators info: Done
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24
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25 * Convenor's report
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26 * Suggestions from LM: Bow Room
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27 The original minute from LM read in part:
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28
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29 "We ask the Meeting House Management Committee to consider the
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30 following recommendations [wrt a contribution of £3700 from
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31 LM]:
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32 ...
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33 • money to be spent improving accessibility and ambience of
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34 foyer and Bow room. A ramp is needed for the Bow Room;
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35
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36 I've learned that Richard Williams (long-time member of LM, was
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37 Assistant Treasurer way back, most recently member of Clerking
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38 Team), has visited the Meeting House and informally discussed
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39 possible improvements to the Bow Room with staff a couple of
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40 times recently, and mehtioned that he himself might also want to
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41 contribute.
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42
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43 I wrote to JH to say that I'd asked Majk Stokes (Assistant
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44 Manager for Projects) to arrange a meeting with him and
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45 suggesting that he could act as an informal liaison between
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46 staff/MHMC and LM as we work to put a plan together for upgrading
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47 the Bow Room [one way!]. (see item below).
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48
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49 * Defend our Juries
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50
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51 SS and HST offered to staff the Meeting House if in the event it was
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52 needed as a fallback recovery venue for the planned actions in
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53 support of Palestine Action on 18 and 29 Edinburgh.
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54 * Finance report
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55
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56 * Managers' report
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57
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58 * Fringe
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59
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60 Email to Hartley saying he's got a place for three years, he's
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61 acknowledged, no new document yet. Building improvements?
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62
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63 HK asked if we would ask Trustees about alcohol - finances, groups.
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64
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65 SS suggests a week before the hire and and after the get-out with no
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66 bookings and no annual leave. We *Agreed*.
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67
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68 * YFGM
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69
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70 We still don't know if YFGM made a contribution for their weekend
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71 here in spring 2025. We *Agree* to support them for this event and
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72 in the future, on the same basis as in the past (reference email).
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73
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74 *Action* HST to look at the emails from last time to find out what
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75 the expected donation was.
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76
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77 Request for feedback about other venues after the upcoming visit.
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78
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79 * Staffing
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80
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81 James Kemp is away for the first few months of 2026
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82
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83 EG will also have two weeks of EAPPI training in June 2026
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84
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85 As discussed when Majk started his new position as Assistant Manager
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86 Projects: We *Agreed* to approve one month of unpaid leave in 23
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87 March-19 April and one at either end of EG's, so that we have one
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88 4-month gap to fill with a temporary hire.
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89
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90 * Meeting House closure
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91
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92 Closed 22/12--3/1
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93
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94 21 Festive Lunch
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95 25 MfW (John P)
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96 28 MfW no lunch
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97 4 Jan MfW and Lunch
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98
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99 HST to be on 'phone cover, dates TBD
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100
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101 * 2026 Prices
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102
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103 [Very good presentation, attached: We *Agreed* the details as given,
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104 resulting in a 7.76 increase in income from changes in average
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105 around the RLW increase, i.e. 7--9%]
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106
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107 Things for a strategy discussion:
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108
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109 Who are the core customers/other parts of the customer base
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110 What are the priorities/what's our mission/build a model for this
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111 decision next year
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112 Where are the opportunities:
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113 Library; Bow Room; Creche
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114 Products/Services vs Packaging
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115 Calendar sensitivity
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116 Vary meetings between strategy and operations
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117
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118 Increase T/C and Biscuits from 1.20 to 1.50 (== 25%)
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119
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120 We *Agreed* to make that the increase to 1.50 for Concessions, Standard up to 2.00
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121
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122 * Monday bookings / Protecting Community Groups
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123
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124 Proposal for a weekly concession evening, attached, discussion via
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125 email, aiming to approve a proposal in time for trial in January
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126
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127 Two hour slot at half-price for Community Evening on Mondays: by application,
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128 purpose and activities, chance to make a difference for their
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129 operations, repeat this per semester (3 per year). Some regular
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130 bookings from groups not qualifying would be protected. A few AMs
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131 in the way of a consistent offer to larger group.
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132
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133 Net-net generate extra income, help the community, low risk.
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134
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135 Six months in, please report back.
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136
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137 We are minded to approve this.
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138
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139
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140 * Financial Report
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141
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142 [slides attached]
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143
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144 High points: good expenditure control, highs and low of income
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145 balancing so in total we're nearly at a zero deficit.
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146
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147 We thanked Chris for another very useful report, agreed that the
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148 Managers and Chris would start regular meetings
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149
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150 * Quinquennial review/News from Trustees
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151
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152 Martin Ward (MW) has proposed a meeting with HST to discuss
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153 coordination. Perhaps we should suggest a meeting with MW and any
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154 other Trustees who can make it with any of us who can make it at
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155 1815 on (Tuesday) 13 January, just before Trustees' next meeting at
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156 1845. We might also schedule our next meeting for 1715 that same
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157 day?
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158
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159 We *agreed* that HST should propose this to MW, w/o LQ (birthday),
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160 maybe more topics including general coordination, budgeting and
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161 maybe QiS prospect
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162
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163 * Works to be undertaken Bow Room
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164 [note error in heading of this item in the Minutes from 2025-10-20,
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165 - Meeting with Majk Stokes (MS), RW, someone from Trustees,
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166 AT, someone from MHMC
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167 See attached.
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168
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169 Divide the project in two, leave accessibility if now immediately
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170 good internal solution emerges.
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171
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172 * Staff escalation route if they need backup
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173
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174 [see Minutes on this item from 2025-10-20]
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175
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176 * Date of next meeting
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177
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178 * AOB
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179
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180 * Access to the building for early arrivers
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181
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182 What is the policy wrt Friends opening the door early/without a
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183 meeting at all/one early arriver allowing another
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184
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185 And other Friends
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186
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187 * Time without staff (if needed)
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188
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189 ht
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