Present: Alison Burnley, Alastair Cameron, Madeleine Harding, Phil Lucas, Brian Mayes, Laurie Naumann, Rufus Reade, -Eileen Schott, Don Stubbings, Henry Thompson (in the clerk's chair)
-The members of the working group gave brief self-introductions
-Alastair Cameron, on behalf of Area Meeting gave us -some background:
-Don Stubbings, who was -instrumental in raising some of the questions we will be considering:
-The above might add up to 200K GBP over the next few years. The expense -of the roof repairs stimulated a consideration of whether we should be -more-or-less uncritically committing to maintaining an old building which will -likely continue to require substantial investment. This eventually led to a -presentation to AM in August. In the twenty years since we purchased 7VT, no -overall review of our use of the premises has been undertaken.
-Our circumstances have changed in many ways over that time, including -changes in external regulation: Child Protection, Health and Safety, Food -Sanitation. The rental of our premises has also evolved, alongside an increase -in the number of other churches etc. who make premises available. The issue of -balance between income generated and operating costs, given our commitment to -charging very low rents for Quaker groups/other groups with certain specified qualities.
-At the same time, the awareness of many Quaker users of the premises does -not extend beyond Meeting for Worship on a Sunday.
-One view of the balance sheet is that we are running at a 20K/annum -deficit. Some members clearly see this as an acceptable cost, others think at -the very least the AM needs to explicitly acknowledge this.
-The possibility of moving towards 7VT as the Scottish equivalent of -Friends House has been raised, and deserves to be re-considered, without losing -sight of the history of our previous, failed, attempt to do so.
-Trustees have initiated their own review, and put a hold on all capital -expenditure until this group has reported.
-Some of these issues interact with aspects of the role of the paid -meetinghouse staff.
-One way of looking at the financial side is to see the deficit as the -rent that AM pays for the use we get from the building.
-Phil Lucas recalled that on his and Pat's arrival as Wardens in 1994, the -building was running at a loss, but they were given the explicit goal of making -the building pay for itself. He believes that the revenue account balanced -from around 1997. It's the capital expenditures which provoke the deficit
-Henry Thompson summarised that we have to both get clear what the actual -numbers are, and then decide how we are going to treat those -numbers, and that we have a lot of choices in how we arrive at a summary to -underpin our search for a vision. Rufus Read suggested that a cash flow -forecast would be a tool to help in this regard.
-Henry Thompson and others attempted to recall the reasons we sold Stafford -Street and bought 7 Victoria Terrace:
-Present: Alison Burnley, Alastair Cameron, Madeleine Harding, +Phil Lucas, Brian Mayes, Laurie Naumann, Rufus Reade, Eileen +Schott, Don Stubbings, Henry Thompson (in the clerk's chair)
+The members of the working group gave brief +self-introductions
+Alastair Cameron, on behalf of Area Meeting gave us some +background:
+Don Stubbings, who was instrumental in raising some of the +questions we will be considering:
+The above might add up to 200K GBP over the next few years. The +expense of the roof repairs stimulated a consideration of whether +we should be more-or-less uncritically committing to maintaining an +old building which will likely continue to require substantial +investment. This eventually led to a presentation to AM in August. +In the twenty years since we purchased 7VT, no overall review of +our use of the premises has been undertaken.
+Our circumstances have changed in many ways over that time, +including changes in external regulation: Child Protection, Health +and Safety, Food Sanitation. The rental of our premises has also +evolved, alongside an increase in the number of other churches etc. +who make premises available. The issue of balance between income +generated and operating costs, given our commitment to charging +very low rents for Quaker groups/other groups with certain +specified qualities.
+At the same time, the awareness of many Quaker users of the +premises does not extend beyond Meeting for Worship on a +Sunday.
+One view of the balance sheet is that we are running at a +20K/annum deficit. Some members clearly see this as an acceptable +cost, others think at the very least the AM needs to explicitly +acknowledge this.
+The possibility of moving towards 7VT as the Scottish equivalent +of Friends House has been raised, and deserves to be re-considered, +without losing sight of the history of our previous, failed, +attempt to do so.
+Trustees have initiated their own review, and put a hold on all +capital expenditure until this group has reported.
+Some of these issues interact with aspects of the role of the +paid meetinghouse staff.
+One way of looking at the financial side is to see the deficit +as the rent that AM pays for the use we get from the building.
+Phil Lucas recalled that on his and Pat's arrival as Wardens in +1994, the building was running at a loss, but they were given the +explicit goal of making the building pay for itself. He believes +that the revenue account balanced from around 1997. It's the +capital expenditures which provoke the deficit
+Henry Thompson summarised that we have to both get clear what +the actual numbers are, and then decide how we are going to +treatthose numbers, and that we have a lot of choices in how +we arrive at a summary to underpin our search for a vision. Rufus +Read suggested that a cash flow forecast would be a tool to help in +this regard.
+Henry Thompson and others attempted to recall the reasons we +sold Stafford Street and bought 7 Victoria Terrace:
+Our next meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday 13th January at 7 -Victoria Terrace.
-Our next meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday 13th January at +7 Victoria Terrace.
+