Room hire & marketing

If the cafe idea goes ahead, we would need to look at +possible impact on our relief from Council Tax.

Controversial bookings: Common Knowledge -

HT reported that following the cancellation of the Common Knowledge 13 +April booking on the subject of vaccination, we received +concerned queries from several Friends about their meeting scheduled for 11 May, +entitled "Censorsing Debate—Marie Mamulova & Lisa Randall", +about their struggle to have a meeting last year, in Portobello, about their concerns +regarding teaching about trans-gender issues in schools.

After extensive consultation within this Committee, also +involving AM +Clerk and the Clerk of AM Trustees, agreement was reached +in two stages:

+ + Because there had been security problems with the original +(Portobello) meeting, MG contacted the Community Policing unit and on 28 April HT and +MG met with two police, who were reassuring both about the fact that +they did keep an eye on potential sources of trouble in such cases, +and that they make sure local patrols were aware of the 11 May meeting +if it went ahead. + We asked for and +received reassurance that the +meeting would be focussed on freedom of speech and that a statement setting out our expectations could +be made by the AM Clerk at the beginning of the meeting. + +

We then agreed to allow the meeting to go ahead, with the two +Clerks in attendance.

HT emailed the Friends who had expressed concern explaining our decision.

In the event there was no disturbance from protesters, but +the Clerks did not feel that the agreement to avoid anti-transgender +topics and rhetoric had been respected.

[Extracts from an email from AM Clerk]

Quaker weddings: Griffiths/Lawrence