--- a/MHMC/2025-11-17/notes.txt	Mon Nov 17 17:11:19 2025 +0000
+++ b/MHMC/2025-11-17/notes.txt	Fri Nov 21 14:28:21 2025 +0000
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 Monday 27 November, 5.15 p.m., in 7 Victoria Terrace
 
 * Attendance: JP Ascher, Rachael Fitzgerald, Chris Jardine, Katrina
-  McCrea, Laragh Quinney, Sammi Searle, Henry S. Thompson, Andy
-  Tucker, Duncan Wallace
+  McCrea (via Zoom), Laragh Quinney (via Zoom), Sammi Searle, Henry 
+  S. Thompson, Andy Tucker, Duncan Wallace
 
 * Matters Arising
   * Suggestions from Local Meeting (LM)
@@ -37,24 +37,116 @@
      Assistant Treasurer way back, most recently member of Clerking
      Team), has visited the Meeting House and informally discussed
      possible improvements to the Bow Room with staff a couple of
-     times recently.
+     times recently, and mehtioned that he himself might also want to
+     contribute.
 
      I wrote to JH to say that I'd asked Majk Stokes (Assistant
      Manager for Projects) to arrange a meeting with him and
      suggesting that he could act as an informal liaison between
      staff/MHMC and LM as we work to put a plan together for upgrading
-     the Bow Room. (see item below)
+     the Bow Room [one way!]. (see item below).
 
   * Defend our Juries
 
   SS and HST offered to staff the Meeting House if in the event it was
   needed as a fallback recovery venue for the planned actions in
-  support of Palestine Action on 18 and 29 Edinburgh
-
+  support of Palestine Action on 18 and 29 Edinburgh.  
 * Finance report
 
 * Managers' report
 
+  * Fringe
+
+  Email to Hartley saying he's got a place for three years, he's
+  acknowledged, no new document yet.  Building improvements?
+
+  HK asked if we would ask Trustees about alcohol - finances, groups.
+
+  SS suggests a week before the hire and and after the get-out with no
+  bookings and no annual leave.  We *Agreed*.
+
+  * YFGM
+
+  We still don't know if YFGM made a contribution for their weekend
+  here in spring 2025.  We *Agree* to support them for this event and
+  in the future, on the same basis as in the past (reference email).
+
+  *Action* HST to look at the emails from last time to find out what
+  the expected donation was.  
+
+  Request for feedback about other venues after the upcoming visit.
+
+  * Staffing
+
+  James Kemp is away for the first few months of 2026
+
+  EG will also have two weeks of EAPPI training in June 2026
+
+  As discussed when Majk started his new position as Assistant Manager
+  Projects:  We *Agreed* to approve one month of unpaid leave in 23
+  March-19 April and one at either end of EG's, so that we have one
+  4-month gap to fill with a temporary hire.
+
+  * Meeting House closure
+
+  Closed 22/12--3/1
+
+  21 Festive Lunch
+  25 MfW (John P)
+  28 MfW no lunch
+  4 Jan MfW and Lunch
+ 
+  HST to be on 'phone cover, dates TBD
+
+  * 2026 Prices
+
+  [Very good presentation, attached: We *Agreed* the details as given,
+  resulting in a 7.76 increase in income from changes in average
+  around the RLW increase, i.e. 7--9%]
+
+  Things for a strategy discussion:
+
+    Who are the core customers/other parts of the customer base
+    What are the priorities/what's our mission/build a model for this
+     decision next year
+    Where are the opportunities:
+     Library; Bow Room; Creche
+    Products/Services vs Packaging
+    Calendar sensitivity
+    Vary meetings between strategy and operations
+
+  Increase T/C and Biscuits from 1.20 to 1.50 (== 25%)
+
+  We *Agreed* to make that the increase to 1.50 for Concessions, Standard up to 2.00
+
+  * Monday bookings / Protecting Community Groups
+
+  Proposal for a weekly concession evening, attached, discussion via
+  email, aiming to approve a proposal in time for trial in January
+
+  Two hour slot at half-price for Community Evening on Mondays: by application,
+  purpose and activities, chance to make a difference for their
+  operations, repeat this per semester (3 per year).  Some regular
+  bookings from groups not qualifying would be protected.  A few AMs
+  in the way of a consistent offer to larger group.
+
+  Net-net generate extra income, help the community, low risk.
+
+  Six months in, please report back.
+
+  We are minded to approve this.
+
+
+* Financial Report
+
+  [slides attached]
+
+  High points: good expenditure control, highs and low of income
+  balancing so in total we're nearly at a zero deficit.
+
+  We thanked Chris for another very useful report, agreed that the
+  Managers and Chris would start regular meetings
+
 * Quinquennial review/News from Trustees
 
   Martin Ward (MW) has proposed a meeting with HST to discuss
@@ -64,13 +156,18 @@
   1845.  We might also schedule our next meeting for 1715 that same
   day?
 
+  We *agreed* that HST should propose this to MW, w/o LQ (birthday),
+  maybe more topics including general coordination, budgeting and
+  maybe QiS prospect
+
 * Works to be undertaken Bow Room
   [note error in heading of this item in the Minutes from 2025-10-20,
-    which had "Upper Bow"]
-  - Report from Majk Stokes
-  - Role for Richard Williams (RW)?
   - Meeting with Majk Stokes (MS), RW, someone from Trustees,
-     someone from MHMC
+     AT, someone from MHMC
+  See attached.
+
+  Divide the project in two, leave accessibility if now immediately
+  good internal solution emerges.
 
 * Staff escalation route if they need backup
 
@@ -80,6 +177,13 @@
 
 * AOB
 
+  * Access to the building for early arrivers
+
+  What is the policy wrt Friends opening the door early/without a
+   meeting at all/one early arriver allowing another
+
+  And other Friends
+
 * Time without staff (if needed)  
 
 ht