Meeting House Management Committee Minutes 2026-01-13
Tuesday 13 January, 5.15 p.m., in 7 Victoria Terrace

* Attendance: JP Ascher, Rachael Fitzgerald, Emma
  Lawrence (online), Katrina McCrea (online), Sammi Searle, Henry
  S. Thompson (HST), Andy Tucker, Duncan Wallace (DW)

  Prevented: Laragh Quinney, Chris Jardine

* Matters Arising

  * Meeting House closure

    HST was on 'phone cover during Managers' absence for a few days,
    no calls came in

  * YFGM
    *Action* on HST: Ask YFGM for feedback about other venues

  * Community Evening on Mondays

    We said in November that we were minded to approve this for a
    January start, but Ellie (EG) and the Managers needed a bit more
    time to get a complete plan ready, see below.

* Convenor's report

  * We welcomed Emma Lawrence as a new member of the committee.

* Managers' report

  * New Website

  * New emails for 7 VT office and Managers

  * Lift inspection

  We *agreed* to authorise a further more detailed report on its
  condition.

  * Fringe let to CVenues

  We *agreed* to authorise a CPI-based annual increment in the fee.
  The lease needs to be clear about detail: e.g. uplift in April on
  the basis of January CPI.

  We *agreed* to encourage Hartley Kemp (HK) to explore Edinburgh
  Council plan to use some of the upcoming Hotel Tax revenue as
  funding for venue improvements

  We *agreed* to tell Trustees about HK's interest in allowing alcohol
  for sale

* Financial Report

  Slides attached as circulated

  We *endorse* CJ's point 6.  Managers will meet with CJ shortly to
  begin this process.  Forecasting is _always_ vulnerable to
  unexpected events, but we can at least do better than the current
  uniform division by 12 approach.

  We are very grateful to CJ for his excellent report.

* Works to be undertaken: Bow Room

  We have asbestos above the cupboard.  Demolition and refurbishment
  survey?  And then remediation.  Recommendation is if building work
  is planned then such a survey should be commissioned for the
  relevant areas.

  There is an earlier "Management" survey, from 2009, and it included
  the Bow Room: surface inspection of floor, wall and ceiling.  Three
  possible risks were identified and subsequently either ruled out or
  dealt with. It seems at least possible that the hole in the cupboard
  ceiling was made after this.

  We *agreed* to revert to the companies we've asked to quote for a
  clear statement of the scope of the investigation they've already
  done, the scope of the work they have quoted for, to do a
  "Refurbishment and Demolition" survey of the Bow Room (or of the
  whole building if that is more cost-effective).  If this involves
  up-front expenditure up to £2,000 that is *approved*.

  For the time being we will keep the news quiet

  [The situation was made public at Local Meeting via Notices on 18
  January and at Area Meeting on 19 January]

  For the time being we will stop letting the Bow Room, in
  anticipation of refurbishment.

The following items were held over:
  * Central Edinburgh Sunday fee

  * Staff escalation route if they need backup

  * Policy/procedures for early booking arrivals

  * Policy for charges to non-SESAM Quaker bodies

  * Convenor of MHMC

* Date of next meeting

  Tentatively Monday 2 March at 1715 in 7 VT

* AOB

* Time without staff

* Joint session with Trustees

  Joined by Jonathan Riddell (Treasurer), Sara Davies (Area Meeting
  Clerk), Mark Ballard, Martin Ward (Clerk to Trustees) (MW), Ian Robertson

  HST shared the news about the Bow Room and requested confidentiality
  for the time being.

  MW introduced Trustees' view of budgeting process and the goal of
  the self-sustaining wrt the two 'businesses' of 7VT and Kelso.

  Quarterly reports to Trustees about the state of things look like
   being about right, but details are still being worked out.

  MW on QiS: Keep communications going

  Three pots of money from The Legacy: the buildings; other projects;
  open call for proposals competition; all subject to a business case with
  respect to the work of the Church.

  DW: We need to think about how we (Trustees and MHMC) split our time
  and energy between strategy formation and governance. And what about
  marketing? This needs time over against maintenance...  Who should
  be driving this, as between AM, Trustees and MHMC?  MHMC has much
  more engagement with the 7VT building than all but one Trustee.

  The Affordability Study provides useful starting points for that.

  The budget highlighted how AM could (not) spend time on strategic planning.

  As requested by CVenues, MHMC asks Trustees if they would
  countenance allowing the sale of alcohol during the Fringe let.

  It might be time to test this question with AM, against a background
  of a shift in attitude towards the consumption of alcohol in
  moderation, when the whole of 7VT is being let, and consumption is
  part of having a drink with a show.