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author Henry S Thompson <ht@inf.ed.ac.uk>
date Mon, 02 Feb 2026 22:14:02 +0000
parents 64c7680640f7
children d3dd2dcdf2fe
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1 Meeting House Management Committee Minutes 2026-01-13 1 Meeting House Management Committee Minutes 2026-01-13
2 Tuesday 13 January, 5.15 p.m., in 7 Victoria Terrace 2 Tuesday 13 January, 5.15 p.m., in 7 Victoria Terrace
3 3
4 And then with Trustees from 6.15 to 6.45, if you can
5
6 * Attendance: JP Ascher, Rachael Fitzgerald, Emma 4 * Attendance: JP Ascher, Rachael Fitzgerald, Emma
7 Lawrence (online), Katrina McCrea (online), Sammi Searle, Henry 5 Lawrence (online), Katrina McCrea (online), Sammi Searle, Henry
8 S. Thompson, Andy Tucker, Duncan Wallace 6 S. Thompson (HST), Andy Tucker, Duncan Wallace
9 7
10 Prevented: Laragh Quinney, Chris Jardine 8 Prevented: Laragh Quinney, Chris Jardine
11 9
12 * Matters Arising 10 * Matters Arising
13 11
15 13
16 HST was on 'phone cover during Managers' absence for a few days, 14 HST was on 'phone cover during Managers' absence for a few days,
17 no calls came in 15 no calls came in
18 16
19 * YFGM 17 * YFGM
20 *Action* on HST: Ask YFGM for feedback about other venues after the 18 *Action* on HST: Ask YFGM for feedback about other venues
21 upcoming visit.
22 19
23 * Community Evening on Mondays 20 * Community Evening on Mondays
24 21
25 We said in November that we were minded to approve this for a 22 We said in November that we were minded to approve this for a
26 January start, but Ellie (EG) and the Managers needed a bit more 23 January start, but Ellie (EG) and the Managers needed a bit more
27 time to get a complete plan ready, see below. 24 time to get a complete plan ready, see below.
28 25
29 * Convenor's report 26 * Convenor's report
30 27
31 * Welcome Emma Lawrence 28 * We welcomed Emma Lawrence as a new member of the committee.
32 29
33 * Managers' report 30 * Managers' report
34 31
35 * New Website 32 * New Website
36 33
45 42
46 We *agreed* to authorise a CPI-based annual increment in the fee. 43 We *agreed* to authorise a CPI-based annual increment in the fee.
47 The lease needs to be clear about detail: e.g. uplift in April on 44 The lease needs to be clear about detail: e.g. uplift in April on
48 the basis of January CPI. 45 the basis of January CPI.
49 46
50 We *agreed* to work the HK to explore [bed tax] funding for venue 47 We *agreed* to encourage Hartley Kemp (HK) to explore Edinburgh
51 improvements 48 Council plan to use some of the upcoming Hotel Tax revenue as
49 funding for venue improvements
52 50
53 We *agreed* to tell Trustees about allowing alcohol for sale 51 We *agreed* to tell Trustees about HK's interest in allowing alcohol
52 for sale
54 53
55 * Financial Report 54 * Financial Report
56 55
57 Slides attached as circulated 56 Slides attached as circulated
58 57
63 62
64 We are very grateful to CJ for his excellent report. 63 We are very grateful to CJ for his excellent report.
65 64
66 * Works to be undertaken: Bow Room 65 * Works to be undertaken: Bow Room
67 66
68 We have asbesto behind the cupboard. Demolition and refurbishment 67 We have asbesto above the cupboard. Demolition and refurbishment
69 survey? And then remediation. Recommendation is if building work 68 survey? And then remediation. Recommendation is if building work
70 is planned then such a survey should be commissioned for the 69 is planned then such a survey should be commissioned for the
71 relevant areas. 70 relevant areas.
72 71
73 There is an earlier survey, but its scope and date is not 72 There is an earlier "Management" survey, from 2009, and it included
74 immediately available. 73 the Bow Room: surface inspection of floor, wall and ceiling. Three
74 possible risks were identified and subsequently either ruled out or
75 dealt with. It seems at least possible that the hole in the cupboard
76 ceiling was made after this.
75 77
76 We *agreed* to revert to the companies we've asked to quote for a 78 We *agreed* to revert to the companies we've asked to quote for a
77 clear statement of the scope of the investigation they've already 79 clear statement of the scope of the investigation they've already
78 done, the scope of the work they have quoted for, and to _increase_ 80 done, the scope of the work they have quoted for, to do a
79 that scope to the whole of the Bow Room. Feed in to that any 81 "Refurbishment and Demolition" survey of the Bow Room (or of the
80 information from the putative earlier survey, as a matter of 82 whole building if that is more cost-effective). If this involves
81 urgency. If this involves up-front expenditure up to £2,000 that is 83 up-front expenditure up to £2,000 that is *approved*.
82 *approved*.
83 84
84 As soon as the scope of the previous survey is clear we will need to 85 For the time being we will keep the news quiet
85 make the situation public, but for the time being we will keep the 86
86 news quiet. 87 [The situation was made public at Local Meeting via Notices on 18
88 January and at Area Meeting on 19 January]
87 89
88 For the time being we will stop letting the Bow Room, in 90 For the time being we will stop letting the Bow Room, in
89 anticipation of refurbishment. 91 anticipation of refurbishment.
90 92
91 * Central Edinburgh Sunday fee 93 The following items were held over:
94 * Central Edinburgh Sunday fee
92 95
93 AM Treasurer has asked if we plan to change this. It's currently 96 * Staff escalation route if they need backup
94 £600. Maybe it's time to ditch this meaningless paper transfer?
95 97
96 > Catriona suggests a 6% increase to Central Edinburgh, does that seem 98 * Policy/procedures for early booking arrivals
97 > sensible?
98 99
99 > ---------- Forwarded message --------- 100 * Policy for charges to non-SESAM Quaker bodies
100 > From: Central Edinburgh Treasurer (Catriona Dickson)
101 > Subject: Re: Edin Quaker Meeting House use rates
102 > To: SESAM Treasurer (Jonathan Riddell) <se-treasurer@quaker.scot>
103 101
104 102 * Convenor of MHMC
105 > Rent 2024@ £563.20 per month. Rent from Jan 2025 @ £600.00 per month
106
107
108 > That was approx a 6% increase. so maybe we could expect £636.00 per month
109 > from Jan 2026, but of course I would prefer no increase!
110
111
112 * Staff escalation route if they need backup
113
114 The Minutes on this item from 2025-10-20 say:
115
116 Trustees asked us:
117
118 "we need ... an assurance from [MHMC] that staff have an
119 escalation route whenever they need backup. ... We are happy for
120 trustees to be on a reserve backup list in case no-one from MHMC
121 is available."
122
123 All we have at the moment is an informal phone tree: MHM -> MHMC via
124 HST -> Trustees via Martin Ward
125
126 What SCALP gave us was more in the direction of how to behave
127 towards the police in a less than full-cooperation way. But was not
128 really quite what we expected/hoped for for _building staff_.
129
130 De-escalation training! RF to let us know more about this.
131
132 * Policy/procedures for early booking arrivals
133
134 What is the policy wrt Friends opening the front door when they are
135 in the Foyer, there are no staff present and someone knocks or
136 rings?
137
138 This may arise if for example someone with a booking arrives more
139 than 15 minutes early, a tourist wants to ask questions or look for
140 Major Weir...
141
142 This is clearly complicated, and begs the question of how a Friend
143 or Friends may come to be in the Foyer without staff.
144
145 This interacts with the "be a welcoming place for SESAM" goal.
146
147 * Policy for charges to non-SESAM Quaker bodies
148
149 We need to standardise on a more nuanced policy for e.g. YFGM, QiS,
150 NFPB, along the lines of covering costs (which is a lot if the MH
151 would otherwise be closed, nothing at all if staff would already be
152 present throughout, marginal cost for adding housr, requiring
153 flexibility about what room they end up in on the day, ...
154
155 Does it matter if _none_ of the participants will be from SESAM?
156
157 * Convenor of MHMC
158
159 HST demits office on 1 April...
160 103
161 * Date of next meeting 104 * Date of next meeting
162 105
163 Tentatively Monday 2 March at 1715 in 7 VT 106 Tentatively Monday 2 March at 1715 in 7 VT
164 107