January 2023 - wardenship - lists.quaker.eu.org

Meeting House Matters notes
by Oliver Waterhouse 30 Jan '23

30 Jan '23

Oliver Waterhouse Quaker Life It was great to see everyone who was able to join the first session of Meeting House Matters, the newly re-branded Wardens Talking online discussion network. As a reminder there is a slightly revised format for the discussions as well as a name change. There will be a topic each week which will be led by one of us or by someone joining us to share their experience. In 2023 we are planning to hold three events in person. We have done this in the past and are keen to see if we can get people together again to spend a day together. The in-person sessions will be held in locations across Britain and we hope there will be one near enough for everyone to be able to come to one. We are working on the following dates and locations. * Tuesday, 18 April, Bristol * Tuesday, 18 July, Leeds * Tuesday, 14 November, London Please save the date of the nearest to you, and others if you would like to join more than one. More information will come soon about the in-person events and will be sent by email and other comms channels. Next online session * Tuesday, 21 February 2.30pm * Join Zoom Meeting: https://quaker.zoom.us/j/81586087624?pwd=VHk3MW9sTHJUVDdsMFlTMUN3WEpmUT09 * Meeting ID: 815 8608 7624 * Passcode: WT-online What is considered a success This week our theme was What is considered a success? We were thinking about success being: * That our meeting house is finding a good balance between generating an income that covers the cost of keeping the building open. * And that the building is being used by Quakers and a variety of groups in the community and providing community benefit as per our area meeting charitable objects. We spent some time in breakout groups with the following question to help us think about success from a variety of perspectives: * What do you as a warden or manager consider a success from their position? * What might hirers think of as a success? * What would your finance and premises committee see as a success? * What would Friends see as a success? Combined feedback from the breakout rooms General points - some may already happen, others we might like to bring in * Our witness in the works is to run the premises as sustainably as we possibly can. * How we treat employees, Friends, hirers. We must get that right first! * Inclusive to the community - welcoming and open. * Vibrant use of the building. * Range of groups within similar fields (e.g. support groups, political, arts) signpost to other hirers services - positive cross pollination groups supporting each other creating a community within the meeting house. * A meeting house for the community IS the ministry. * Balance and range of hirers, income from hirers regular, one off, training week secure base financial income and security from a few significant hirers plus ample room for a broad range of hirers throughout the year across the MH. Hirers * Wifi / internet, we provide a space for them where they don't have to think about the practicalities - can just walk in do what they came to do and go back out. * A place to hire a room that is affordable offers reliable invoicing and booking arrangements and offers good value for money. * Calm atmosphere * Would like to have the best experience that they can with the least effort or work for them * Don't need to think about it as there is reliability. * Reliable Wi-Fi. * Has all the health and safety in place to avoid major issues that could occur (a robust system to deal with incidents). Finance and premises (Quaker committees) * To be able to have the worshipping community able to meet in a suitable space, and to have the resources to do what the worshipping community want to do as a Quaker community. * Be able to support the building so it isn't a cost to the Quaker community. * That enough income is generated to run the premises and make a surplus. * London Quaker Property Trust is the mechanism that supports property across London. Income is pooled from the whole area meaning there are funds to maintain the premises and support the worship and witness across the whole region. Area meetings operate in a similar way but on a smaller scale. * Higher proportion of charities and organisations that use the buildings than profit-making organisations. * Variety of hirers (social and culturally) have a broad range for a healthier mix of £ and diversity rather than x 2 big hirers (good financially but also a risk if one leaves, plus not enabling a space for a broader amount of groups to benefit from venue facilities). Quakers / Friends * To see the building animated - full of other groups and people. An asset and connection to the wider community. * A building they don't have to think about or give input to? * SO many want people to come to the building and then and come to Quakers. * That there is a place for worship and the activities of local Quakers. * Now a small number of meeting house in relation to the meeting community so the meeting house is used for AM activities more than it was before. * Not just what happens in worship but are able to carry out activities in the premises that bring the community together. People have come to join in with this who have not been around for a long time. * Greater membership to contribute to the presence and energy of the venue. Workers * A welcoming safe environment for people to meet - Qs and hirers. A space that works for the different groups that we have coming in - meeting their needs. * We are not just random employees, we are employees of a Quaker meeting house, many of whom are Quakers. It is a vocation as well as work. * Where there is clarity over the tasks that are required and who does them in the community. * In answering the first question it is important to answer the other three. If hirers, committees and Friends feel it is a success then the warden should be able to consider their job done. * Outreach activities. * All within a framework of ethical behaviour. * Fellowship with anyone and everyone who works through the door (hirers and Friends). * Provide a safe, very clean, uncluttered space for hirer so that they feel it is their space (taking ownership). * Respect - respecting the community we sit in the middle of and sharing upmarket space at a reasonable cost. * Supporting hirers to generate an atmosphere of respect. * Best experience when hirers are all in place and it all works with finance too. What brings you joy * The people who use the building. * Adults with learning difficulties spontaneously dancing with a children's group in the corridor. * Seeing marginalised people comfortable in the meeting house. * People. * Foodbank being run from the meeting house. * Photo of foodbank with shopping bags all in all the rooms of the meeting house in Walthamstow (boxes of support). * Garden an oasis gives peace to a community especially if that is the only bit of green space within the urban area. * People who are loyal and enjoy the atmosphere and want to come back in spite of the short comings of the building - they feel at home and therefore take ownership. * Opportunity to do stuff together in person, to work and working with a purpose that's a benefit to more than just us. * Connection (can't always tell what is happening) when you see the connection in community (it's like watching theatre / music before your eyes) nothing to do with you directly, even though you have enabled it by being there as a venue. * Celebration and connection. * Spring in the MH peace garden under the stars. In friendship, Oliver Oliver Waterhouse (he/him) Quaker Life Team Leader, Local and Area Governance Quakers in Britain 020 7663 1007 (Direct) oliverw(a)quaker.org.uk<mailto:oliverw@quaker.org.uk> | www.quaker.org.uk<http://www.quaker.org.uk/> Follow Quakers in Britain on Twitter<http://twitter.com/BritishQuakers>, Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/BritishQuakers>, YouTube<https://www.youtube.com/quakersinbritain>, and Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/britishquakers/>. CLERKS OF TRUSTEES: Please send TARA documents to supportmeetings(a)quaker.org.uk<mailto:supportmeetings@quaker.org.uk> All Quakers in Britain staff can be contacted using their usual email addresses or phone numbers. They may be working from home, in Friends House (London), in the Yorkshire Centre (Leeds) or at a base local to them. The Quaker Centre Bookshop and Café<https://www.friendshouse.co.uk/quaker-centre/> (Friends House, London) are open to the public. If you would like to support our work, you can give online at www.quaker.org.uk/donate. Britain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Registered charity number 1127633 | Friends House, 173 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BJ ________________________________ Quakers say: Religion is about the whole of life.

1 0

Meeting House Matters online discussion
by Oliver Waterhouse 24 Jan '23

24 Jan '23

Oliver Waterhouse Quaker Life Hello everyone, There will be a Meeting House Matters (formerly Wardens Talking) discussion on Wednesday, 25 January at 2pm. These sessions are having a bit of a re-brand as the format has not changed much since 2020 when the pandemic began. This group serves a variety of people in various roles both working in and with responsibility for Quaker premises and lettings. The new name, Meeting House Matters, is more reflective of who attends and hopefully will feel more inclusive. We are also going to move to having a topic each time for the first part of the session, followed by some open discussion and questions after. In tomorrow's session we will look at what success looks like? Is our meeting house is finding a good balance between generating an income that covers the cost of keeping the building running? And is the building is being used by Quakers and a variety of groups in the community and providing community benefit as per our area meeting charitable objects? Please come along and join the discussion which will be on Zoom using the following joining details (new details for 2023): * Join Zoom Meeting: https://quaker.zoom.us/j/81586087624?pwd=VHk3MW9sTHJUVDdsMFlTMUN3WEpmUT09 * Meeting ID: 815 8608 7624 * Passcode: WT-online In friendship, Oliver Oliver Waterhouse (he/him) Quaker Life Team Leader, Local and Area Governance Quakers in Britain 020 7663 1007 (Direct) oliverw(a)quaker.org.uk<mailto:oliverw@quaker.org.uk> | www.quaker.org.uk<http://www.quaker.org.uk/> Follow Quakers in Britain on Twitter<http://twitter.com/BritishQuakers>, Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/BritishQuakers>, YouTube<https://www.youtube.com/quakersinbritain>, and Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/britishquakers/>. CLERKS OF TRUSTEES: Please send TARA documents to supportmeetings(a)quaker.org.uk<mailto:supportmeetings@quaker.org.uk> All Quakers in Britain staff can be contacted using their usual email addresses or phone numbers. They may be working from home, in Friends House (London), in the Yorkshire Centre (Leeds) or at a base local to them. The Quaker Centre Bookshop and Café<https://www.friendshouse.co.uk/quaker-centre/> (Friends House, London) are open to the public. If you would like to support our work, you can give online at www.quaker.org.uk/donate. Britain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Registered charity number 1127633 | Friends House, 173 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BJ ________________________________ Quakers say: Religion is about the whole of life.

1 0

Cleaner payments
by Walthamstow Quakers 24 Jan '23

24 Jan '23

Hi lovely people, I wonder if anyone could help. We have a self-employed and fabulous cleaner here at Walthamstow. He is contracted for 3 hours a day but sometimes has to work longer due to the messy oiks that use and abuse our building. Until recently he was paid a weekly standing order and then any extra hours were calculated at the end of the quarter in a one off payment. All by online payments. This year, we have begun to set up the online payments weekly for exactly the hours that he has worked the previous week. There has been some concern over this method. Although it is more accurate from an accounting viewpoint, it runs the risk that if no one is available to set up a payment (there's only 2 of us who can), our lovely cleaner wouldn't get paid on time. One suggestion has been that we pay him by standing order and work out the pay difference on a monthly rather than quarterly basis. However, this increases the chance of him owing us money - for example if he takes several days off over Christmas. Any other suggestions/comments gladly accepted. All the best, Ceals Pronouns: her, she Building Manager Walthamstow Quaker Meeting House 020 8521 2363 *Love the environment. Don't print this email unless you have to.* I work part-time 4 days a week. I will get back to you as soon as I can.

3 2

Grants for solar panels
by Rachel Bach 24 Jan '23

24 Jan '23

Hello all I am writing on behalf of our premises committee at Ipswich Local Meeting. We have put in an application for solar panels for our Meeting House as part of a local authority scheme, the survey was done today and we have been accepted. We have been quoted in the region of £23k which is a lot of money! This is due to the roof that will be taking the panels being very high up, lots of scaffolding and two days work, includes battery storage with adequate capacity for our meeting house and 18 panels, so we can see why they arrive at that price. My question is what grants etc are out there for greening buildings? We have funds but they will be heavily depleted, we can also possibly apply to our AM for funds as well but it is worth finding out if there are specific pots of money out there to apply for. I have had an initial look but cannot see anything, however this sort of thing is not my expertise and others may have more knowledge or information. You would think that this sort of thing would be encouraged!! Rachel Bach Ipswich LM premises cttee

1 1

Re: Fire door magnets
by William Waddilove 21 Jan '23

21 Jan '23

I don't know what Klaus has in the way of 'door magnets'. They sound as if they are hard wired to their fire alarm system. I have fitted a number of these in Priory Rooms / Bull Street MH. and elsewhere. https://www.screwfix.com/p/dorgard-ll800-hold-open-fire-door-retainer-black… Essentially you secure them open manually.. If there is a 'noise' for a prolonged period (fire alarm) they automatically release so no wiring or direct connection is needed. Sensitivity can be adjusted (so when you are drilling or vacuuming nearby they don't release). Also you can set a 'release' time) so they auto close at night. A touch with a foot also releases them. (and they beep when needing new batteries) Seemed to me to be so obviously brilliant and simple once set up. Perhaps this could be an answer? William Waddilove - Bull Street MH premises. Hartshill MH Premises, Coventry MH Premises , HLD Maintenance Services . On Thu, 19 Jan 2023 at 16:11, Quaker House via wardenship < wardenship(a)lists.quaker.eu.org> wrote: > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Quaker House <house.quaker(a)googlemail.com> > To: Klaus Huber <boawarden(a)gmail.com> > Cc: Wardenship-Egroup <wardenship(a)lists.quaker.eu.org> > Bcc: > Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2023 15:24:52 +0000 > Subject: [wardenship] Re: Fire door magnets > Dear Klaus, > > This is priceless and made me laugh thank you. > > At the Meeting House in Plymouth we have door magnets on our fire doors as > they tend to be left open before our hirers start their meeting (mainly in > the ground floor meeting room as it is opposite the front door so that they > can see late comers). We also have the magnets on our kitchen door. > > Brutal use of the magnets has been an issue, but more so the noise of the > batteries when they run down can be a quiet beep that gradually amplifies > in sound over time....and it isn't always clear at first where this beep, > beep BEEP, BEEP, BEEP. > I have yet to solve the issue with the door kickers, scrapers or the beep. > > Thanks again, Klaus I am still laughing.... > > > Kind regards, > > *Esther White* > *Quaker House Coordinator* > > 01752 600760 > house.quaker(a)googlemail.com > www.quakerhouseplymouth.org.uk > Quaker House, 74 Mutley Plain, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 6LF > > > > On Thu, 19 Jan 2023 at 09:54, Klaus Huber <boawarden(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >> Dear Friends, >> >> Like many Meeting Houses, Bradford on Avon has a fire alarm system, and >> we have several doors that act as fire doors and therefore should be shut. >> However, it's often convenient to have them open, so we opted for holding >> them open with the help of door magnets that are connected to the fire >> alarm. If the fire alarm goes off, the magnets get released and the doors >> shut. In principle a clever system. However, our fire door magnets have one >> major design fault: to close them, you need to press a switch button. This >> is obviously too sophisticated for most people, so the majority of people >> are closing the doors with brute force. As a result, the door magnets keep >> breaking. About a year ago, I replaced the third of three door magnet >> keeper plates (and wrote the article pasted below that went into our Local >> Meeting newsletter), now the magnet unit itself of the same door has been >> ripped out. Does anyobody else use fire door magnets? And if so, have you >> come across anything that is unkaputtbar, as we would say in German (or >> anything that never gets kaput, as it would be in English)? >> >> Many thanks, >> Klaus Huber >> Resident Warden, Bradford on Avon >> >> PS. For your amusement, here's the article that was published in the >> January 2022 edition of the Bradford on Avon Quaker Meeeting newsletter. >> Just days later, I observed a Friend yet again closing the same door with >> brute force. >> >> *The Secret Life and Death of a* >> >> *fire alarm door magnet keeper plate* >> >> >> The door magnets are probably the least understood feature in our >> building. They owe their existence largely to a combination of laziness and >> forgetfulness. They're an easy and convenient way of propping open a fire >> door, i.e. one of those internal doors that are supposed to be closed in >> the event of fire. You don't have to remember where you put the door >> wedges, you don't have to take a fire extinguisher off its holder to prop >> open the door, and what's best: you don't have to remember to close the >> door when you leave the building. So if you happen to read the sign saying >> "Fire door - keep shut", you can do what most people do with most signs: >> ignore it. >> >> >> I still vividly remember, when I bought vegetables from the field at >> Avonleigh for the first time, I walked straight past a gigantic sign saying >> in enormous letters "Please wait here", and didn't actually notice the >> sign's very existence until I was ushered back behind it. But I digress. >> >> >> Back to the doors held open by the door magnets. Yes, you can ignore the >> sign, because if the fire alarm goes off, the electromagnetic thingy will >> have its electricity cut off, as a result of which there won't be anything >> magnetic anymore, so the door magnet keeper plate (the humble part that >> sticks on the door) won't have anything to hold on to anymore, and, hey >> presto, as if by magic, the door will close. Clever, innit? >> >> >> So far, so good. However, sometimes you do want to close that door. So >> how do you do it? If you paid attention, you will already picked up on one >> option: setting off the fire alarm. However, this is not always very >> practical, and would not be much appreciated by the residents upstairs. So >> what other ways are there? Brute force seems to be a popular choice among >> Friends. No wonder that two of three door magnet keeper plates were broken >> when I arrived as a Warden 9 years ago. The kitchen door magnet keeper >> plate was the only one still intact. In my naivety, I considered it to be >> impossible for anyone other than Hercules himself to close the kitchen door >> with brute force. How wrong I was! Over the years, I observed the >> accomplishment of this task three times with my own eyes. Each time it was >> a different Friend in her 70s performing this extraordinary feat of >> physical prowess. And so it came to pass that, before the year 2021 came to >> an end, this last surviving door magnet keeper plate had to bite the dust. >> After too many occasions being torn between a powerful magnet and a more >> powerful Quakerly arm muscle, it did what everyone would have done in its >> place: it broke into two. >> >> >> Now there happens to be a third way of closing a door held on a door >> magnet. If you paid attention, you would have noticed that it's something >> to do with electricity being switched off to close the door. How do you >> switch the electricity to the door magnet off (other than by setting off >> the fire alarm)? - Yes, exactly: with a switch! The doors to the library >> and the main meeting room have switches in the corridor, roughly at the >> same height as the door handles. The kitchen door magnet, located on the >> floor, has a little black push button acting as switch. Just press it down, >> and you can close the kitchen door non-violently - and keep the (new) poor >> fire alarm door magnet keeper plate happy. >> >> >> -- >> Klaus Huber >> Warden >> Bradford on Avon Quaker Meeting House >> 1 Whiteheads Lane, Bradford on Avon BA15 1JU >> Tel. 01225 865393 >> bradfordonavonquakers.weebly.com >> >> _______________________________________________ >> wardenship mailing list -- wardenship(a)lists.quaker.eu.org >> To unsubscribe send an email to wardenship-leave(a)lists.quaker.eu.org >> > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Quaker House via wardenship <wardenship(a)lists.quaker.eu.org> > To: Klaus Huber <boawarden(a)gmail.com> > Cc: Wardenship-Egroup <wardenship(a)lists.quaker.eu.org>, Quaker House < > house.quaker(a)googlemail.com> > Bcc: > Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2023 15:24:52 +0000 > Subject: [wardenship] Re: Fire door magnets > _______________________________________________ > wardenship mailing list -- wardenship(a)lists.quaker.eu.org > To unsubscribe send an email to wardenship-leave(a)lists.quaker.eu.org >

1 0

Guidance for Managing Friends
by Dean Smart 20 Jan '23

20 Jan '23

Hello colleagues, as part of our journey to be better and good employers in Bristol AM we are thinking about how we support and develop Managing Friends, (the people at local level who act as day to day managers for employed staff) and were wondering if anyone has policy or other materials they might be willing to share that helps specify, steer, develop or regulate the task of being a good Managing Friend in relation to those who work with and for us? We are aware of Friends' House resources an find them useful. We find currently there is variance and know nationally that some AMs will be further along the journey than us and might be able to help us/others, thank you Dean Smart (Bristol AM Trustees' Employment and Well-being Committee Clerk)

1 0

Fire door magnets
by Klaus Huber 19 Jan '23

19 Jan '23

Dear Friends, Like many Meeting Houses, Bradford on Avon has a fire alarm system, and we have several doors that act as fire doors and therefore should be shut. However, it's often convenient to have them open, so we opted for holding them open with the help of door magnets that are connected to the fire alarm. If the fire alarm goes off, the magnets get released and the doors shut. In principle a clever system. However, our fire door magnets have one major design fault: to close them, you need to press a switch button. This is obviously too sophisticated for most people, so the majority of people are closing the doors with brute force. As a result, the door magnets keep breaking. About a year ago, I replaced the third of three door magnet keeper plates (and wrote the article pasted below that went into our Local Meeting newsletter), now the magnet unit itself of the same door has been ripped out. Does anyobody else use fire door magnets? And if so, have you come across anything that is unkaputtbar, as we would say in German (or anything that never gets kaput, as it would be in English)? Many thanks, Klaus Huber Resident Warden, Bradford on Avon PS. For your amusement, here's the article that was published in the January 2022 edition of the Bradford on Avon Quaker Meeeting newsletter. Just days later, I observed a Friend yet again closing the same door with brute force. *The Secret Life and Death of a* *fire alarm door magnet keeper plate* The door magnets are probably the least understood feature in our building. They owe their existence largely to a combination of laziness and forgetfulness. They're an easy and convenient way of propping open a fire door, i.e. one of those internal doors that are supposed to be closed in the event of fire. You don't have to remember where you put the door wedges, you don't have to take a fire extinguisher off its holder to prop open the door, and what's best: you don't have to remember to close the door when you leave the building. So if you happen to read the sign saying "Fire door - keep shut", you can do what most people do with most signs: ignore it. I still vividly remember, when I bought vegetables from the field at Avonleigh for the first time, I walked straight past a gigantic sign saying in enormous letters "Please wait here", and didn't actually notice the sign's very existence until I was ushered back behind it. But I digress. Back to the doors held open by the door magnets. Yes, you can ignore the sign, because if the fire alarm goes off, the electromagnetic thingy will have its electricity cut off, as a result of which there won't be anything magnetic anymore, so the door magnet keeper plate (the humble part that sticks on the door) won't have anything to hold on to anymore, and, hey presto, as if by magic, the door will close. Clever, innit? So far, so good. However, sometimes you do want to close that door. So how do you do it? If you paid attention, you will already picked up on one option: setting off the fire alarm. However, this is not always very practical, and would not be much appreciated by the residents upstairs. So what other ways are there? Brute force seems to be a popular choice among Friends. No wonder that two of three door magnet keeper plates were broken when I arrived as a Warden 9 years ago. The kitchen door magnet keeper plate was the only one still intact. In my naivety, I considered it to be impossible for anyone other than Hercules himself to close the kitchen door with brute force. How wrong I was! Over the years, I observed the accomplishment of this task three times with my own eyes. Each time it was a different Friend in her 70s performing this extraordinary feat of physical prowess. And so it came to pass that, before the year 2021 came to an end, this last surviving door magnet keeper plate had to bite the dust. After too many occasions being torn between a powerful magnet and a more powerful Quakerly arm muscle, it did what everyone would have done in its place: it broke into two. Now there happens to be a third way of closing a door held on a door magnet. If you paid attention, you would have noticed that it's something to do with electricity being switched off to close the door. How do you switch the electricity to the door magnet off (other than by setting off the fire alarm)? - Yes, exactly: with a switch! The doors to the library and the main meeting room have switches in the corridor, roughly at the same height as the door handles. The kitchen door magnet, located on the floor, has a little black push button acting as switch. Just press it down, and you can close the kitchen door non-violently - and keep the (new) poor fire alarm door magnet keeper plate happy. -- Klaus Huber Warden Bradford on Avon Quaker Meeting House 1 Whiteheads Lane, Bradford on Avon BA15 1JU Tel. 01225 865393 bradfordonavonquakers.weebly.com

3 2

Folding upholstered chairs
by Richard Marler 18 Jan '23

18 Jan '23

Dear Friends, Littlehampton Meeting’s finance and premises committee has decided to dispose of 12 upright pink upholstered chairs because they are unpractical for a small room that is used for Children’s meeting and small hiring groups. We already have stackable plastic chairs for young children but would like to obtain 6-10 folding upholstered chairs for adults. Please let me know if you have any ideas about chairs you would recommend or indeed have any that are surplus to your requirements. They would need to meet fire safety standards. Many thanks Richard Marler Warden Littlehampton Meeting Sussex West Area 07739 983942

1 0

Data software
by Judi Brill 17 Jan '23

17 Jan '23

Dear Friends At Oxford and around our Area (Oxford and Swindon Area Quaker Meeting) we are looking at ways of making communication, sharing information and holding data more secure and easier for us all to use! We already use Hallmaster for bookings at several Meeting Houses. We are looking at a piece of software called Church Suite or Charity Suite. https://churchsuite.com/ <https://churchsuite.com/> Do any of you have experience of this or a similar programme and could give us the benefit of your experience please? Particularly attractive would be systems that enable small groups to talk to each other and the streamlining of online giving. We currently do not have card readers in our local meetings and I feel we are missing out here on donations. Grateful for your help/advice! In Friendship Deb Arrowsmith Meeting House Manager Oxford Quaker Meeting House 43 St Giles Oxford OX13LW Email: office(a)oxfordquakers.org <mailto:office@oxfordquakers.org> 01865 557373

3 2

Re: Houseplants
by Ann Turner 11 Jan '23

11 Jan '23

2 1