4 *Edinburgh Meeting House*

Henry Thompson reported for Meeting House Management Committee. Duncan
Wallace has joined the committee, and along with Rachel Fitzgerald
will take the lead on matters to do with the fabric and maintenance of
our property in Edinburgh.

The Warner Brothers filming went ahead without major incident, but
having someone on duty overnight was clearly necessary.

After extensive consultations, agreements have been reached about
upgrading both our intruder alarm and our fire alarm systems, for a
total cost of just over £2,000, as agreed with the Treasurer. Managers
will have better control over their operation, and gain a "lone worker
alarm" function. Hartley Kemp of C Venues has been involved in the
procurement process and is happy that the functionalities he needs for
the Fringe will be met. Henry Thompson has begun to review the C
Venues programme of shows, which has only just appeared.

Henry has conducted a six month review at the end of the probationary
period for the Meeting House managers, Andy Tucker and Sammi
Searle. This was a positive experience and their appointment is
therefore confirmed.

MHMC will confirm whether the draft quinquennial report from John
Renshaw can be accepted. A number of questions on next steps will be
agreed with MHMC and put back to John Renshaw by our clerk. Trustees,
MHMC and staff are continuing to consider possible improvements beyond
the routine maintenance recommended by the architect in his
quinquennial inspection, for consideration along with the budget
process for future years. To that end the Meeting House Managers,
Katrina McRea, Ian Robertson, Martin Ward, Jacqueline Noltingk (from
MHMC) and David Sterratt (one of the authors of the Affordability
Group Report in 2023) were able to tour the meeting house again today
to look at some features.

We have reviewed our published lettings policy and the procedure for
controversial bookings dated March 2023 in the light of the police
raid on Westminster Meeting House and subsequent legal advice provided
to BYM. We do not see a need to change the policy and procedures at
present but will review them again next year or when asked by MHMC,

We have reviewed toilet provision at our meeting houses in the light
of the recent Supreme Court ruling on the meaning of ‘sex’ in relation
to the Equality Act 2010. In line with recent statements by BYM
Trustees on facilities at Friends House and Swarthmore Hall, we
confirm that we wish SESAM meeting houses to be welcoming to all
including, as confirmed in minute 31 of BYM in 2021, trans and
non-binary people. We do not police the biological sex of those using
our toilets and note that single user facitilies are available at both
meeting houses.