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Meeting Houses and Israel / Palestine conflict
by Oliver Waterhouse Oct. 11, 2023

Oct. 11, 2023

Dear Friends, The current escalation in conflict in Israel / Palestine is an important issue to many groups that book meeting spaces at Quaker Meeting Houses. However, not all these groups will share the Quaker position on nonviolence, and it is worth being particularly vigilant over the purpose of new bookings, or how existing bookings might be used differently to normal. [Image] This week, Central Manchester Meeting had a problem with a booking from an organisation they would generally do business with. On this occasion, when the publicity for the event appeared it was clearly not in in line with Quaker values and posed a reputational risk to the meeting. They were able to move swiftly and cancel the booking because it was outside their booking policy. If you think you have an existing booking that might have its purpose changed, or a new hirer that concerns you please check this with your trustees as soon as you can. Trustees can help decide whether the hirer can be agreed or the booking go ahead. 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.

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Re: 2024 price increases?
by Central Warden Oct. 3, 2023

Oct. 3, 2023

We made an estimate of energy price increases, cleaning and other costs, put it to Local Meeting for discernment and settled on +15% across the board. Charles and Faustina Joint Wardens at Central Meeting Please note that we both work part time, to cover Weekdays and Sundays. t. 01173297503 m. 07410411444 Central Bristol Quaker Meeting House, Champion Square, River Street, Bristol, BS2 9DB central.warden(a)bristolquakers.org.uk www.bristolquakers.org.uk/central/ On Sat, Sep 30, 2023 at 5:45 PM John Arnison via wardenship < wardenship(a)lists.quaker.eu.org> wrote: > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: John Arnison <sirhenry100(a)icloud.com> > To: Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House <office(a)equaker.org.uk> > Cc: Quaker Wardenship Support <wardenship(a)lists.quaker.eu.org> > Bcc: > Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2023 17:28:14 +0100 > Subject: [wardenship] Re: 2024 price increases? > Hello Everyone, > > John Arnison from Roundhay meeting, we have put our prices up,we used the > finger in the air method, not very scientific I know and it was only an > extra £2 on the original price. > > Best > > John > > Sent from my iPhone > > > On 30 Sep 2023, at 17:14, Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House < > office(a)equaker.org.uk> wrote: > > > > Hello, > > > > Are any of you planning to put up your room hire charges in 2024? > > > > What data will you use to guide this increase? Consumer price inflation > index? Bank of England interest rates? Standing charges for electricity > increase? > > > > Or the not very scientific method of "stick a finger in the air and > guess which way the wind might blow"? > > > > Many thanks, > > > > Miranda Girdlestone > > > > Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House > > > > -- > > Quaker Meeting House Tel: 0131 225 4825 > > 7 Victoria Terrace Email: office(a)equaker.org.uk > > Edinburgh EH1 2JL what3words.com/cloud.renew.sport > > > > Scottish Charity No. SCO19165 > > Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain: South East Scotland > Area Meeting > > > > _______________________________________________ > > 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: John Arnison via wardenship <wardenship(a)lists.quaker.eu.org> > To: Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House <office(a)equaker.org.uk> > Cc: Quaker Wardenship Support <wardenship(a)lists.quaker.eu.org>, John > Arnison <sirhenry100(a)icloud.com> > Bcc: > Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2023 17:28:14 +0100 > Subject: [wardenship] Re: 2024 price increases? > _______________________________________________ > wardenship mailing list -- wardenship(a)lists.quaker.eu.org > To unsubscribe send an email to wardenship-leave(a)lists.quaker.eu.org > -- *bristolquakers.org.uk* <http://bristolquakers.org.uk> Bristol Area Quaker Meeting is registered at Companies House as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation No CE011904 and is Registered Charity No 1175435 Registered Office: Horfield Quaker Meeting House, 300 Gloucester Road, Bristol, BS7 8PD

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Meeting House Matters notes from 15 September
by Oliver Waterhouse Oct. 3, 2023

Oct. 3, 2023

Oliver Waterhouse Quaker Life Hello everyone, This time we held an open session for anyone to bring a topic along to. The next online session will be on Wednesday, 18 October at 2:00pm. The joining details are below and will also be shared again by email nearer the time. * Join Zoom Meeting: https://quaker.zoom.us/j/81586087624?pwd=VHk3MW9sTHJUVDdsMFlTMUN3WEpmUT09 * Meeting ID: 815 8608 7624 * Passcode: WT-online Notes New fire safety guidance came into force on 1 October 2023 www.gov.uk/government/news/new-fire-safety-guidance-comes-into-force-on-1-o…<http://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-fire-safety-guidance-comes-into-force…> Legionella There is a section in the Meeting House handbook template<https://www.quaker.org.uk/documents/meeting-house-handbook-template> on legionella. You should be careful if you have water that stands, in a tank or a (dead end) pipe, for a period of more than about a week. You need to be careful if your premises has a system such as a shower that creates steam from water, or an air conditioning unit that allows water to sit and stagnate near something warm, which in turn can create water vapour. Legionella is present in all water but is only dangerous when present in vapour form and when the water is not warm enough to kill the bacteria. The bacteria will begin to die off at 50°C and needs to be at around 60°C to kill it rapidly. Flushing the water system frequently (weekly if the building is not being used regularly) should be part of the checks on the building and the process should be noted in the building risk assessment. Paying for taxis for people to attend worship Should meetings pay for taxis to attend worship? Could the fare for the cab be paid from the collection plate? Yes, meetings do have the option to pay for taxis for people to attend worship. If a Friends requires the support of a taxi to attend worship a LM or AM business meeting could write a minute to agree to them being collected and to pay for the cab for them. [A cash voucher with a number of squares Description automatically generated]Could it be paid for from the collection? If everyone who donates to the collection knows that it might be used for that purpose then yes, if the meeting has agreed for it to happen. A good system to ensure that all of the money that has been donated is accounted for needs to be put into place. A petty cash voucher like the one in the image could be used for this to keep track of any cash used to pay for taxis or other items that might be required. Making the most of donations You can also claim Gift Aid on small anonymous donations through the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme (GASDS). This applies to individual donations of up to £20 that are given in cash. See below for information for treasurers on GASDS. * Information about the scheme, https://www.quaker.org.uk/documents/gasds-info-sheet-2019-1 * GASDS recording sheet, https://www.quaker.org.uk/documents/gasds-recording-2019-at-meeting-1 Topics for 2024 * Fire safety and the introduction of the new guidelines. * Hallmaster: update on heating controls as well as building entry security. * Working for a local or area meeting. What are the employment / appointment processes within AMs and how we all fit in together. * Building surveys and inspections. 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.

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2024 price increases?
by Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House Oct. 3, 2023

Oct. 3, 2023

Hello, Are any of you planning to put up your room hire charges in 2024? What data will you use to guide this increase? Consumer price inflation index? Bank of England interest rates? Standing charges for electricity increase? Or the not very scientific method of "stick a finger in the air and guess which way the wind might blow"? Many thanks, Miranda Girdlestone Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House -- Quaker Meeting House Tel: 0131 225 4825 7 Victoria Terrace Email: office(a)equaker.org.uk Edinburgh EH1 2JL what3words.com/cloud.renew.sport Scottish Charity No. SCO19165 Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain: South East Scotland Area Meeting

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Re: 2024 price increases?
by Gavin Mendham Oct. 1, 2023

Oct. 1, 2023

Hello Friends I keep an eye on the rate of inflation. It looks like its going to be 6.5% for 2023. So I am likely to recommend an increase of about that to our hirers if Local Meeting agrees. It gives me an explanation for our hirers. Gavin Mendham Wilmslow Meeting Premises On Sat, 30 Sep 2023, 17:44 John Arnison via wardenship, < wardenship(a)lists.quaker.eu.org> wrote: > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: John Arnison <sirhenry100(a)icloud.com> > To: Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House <office(a)equaker.org.uk> > Cc: Quaker Wardenship Support <wardenship(a)lists.quaker.eu.org> > Bcc: > Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2023 17:28:14 +0100 > Subject: [wardenship] Re: 2024 price increases? > Hello Everyone, > > John Arnison from Roundhay meeting, we have put our prices up,we used the > finger in the air method, not very scientific I know and it was only an > extra £2 on the original price. > > Best > > John > > Sent from my iPhone > > > On 30 Sep 2023, at 17:14, Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House < > office(a)equaker.org.uk> wrote: > > > > Hello, > > > > Are any of you planning to put up your room hire charges in 2024? > > > > What data will you use to guide this increase? Consumer price inflation > index? Bank of England interest rates? Standing charges for electricity > increase? > > > > Or the not very scientific method of "stick a finger in the air and > guess which way the wind might blow"? > > > > Many thanks, > > > > Miranda Girdlestone > > > > Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House > > > > -- > > Quaker Meeting House Tel: 0131 225 4825 > > 7 Victoria Terrace Email: office(a)equaker.org.uk > > Edinburgh EH1 2JL what3words.com/cloud.renew.sport > > > > Scottish Charity No. SCO19165 > > Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain: South East Scotland > Area Meeting > > > > _______________________________________________ > > 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: John Arnison via wardenship <wardenship(a)lists.quaker.eu.org> > To: Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House <office(a)equaker.org.uk> > Cc: Quaker Wardenship Support <wardenship(a)lists.quaker.eu.org>, John > Arnison <sirhenry100(a)icloud.com> > Bcc: > Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2023 17:28:14 +0100 > Subject: [wardenship] Re: 2024 price increases? > _______________________________________________ > wardenship mailing list -- wardenship(a)lists.quaker.eu.org > To unsubscribe send an email to wardenship-leave(a)lists.quaker.eu.org >

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Yoga Mats
by Judi Brill Sept. 22, 2023

Sept. 22, 2023

Dear Wardenship Friends This morning the yoga group that use our Meeting House six mornings a week left a decaying, plastic yoga mat for me to dispose of in my domestic bin. This followed a complaint from the toddler group that uses the room after them as their little people were picking up the plastic grains and putting them in their mouths. I realised there must be so many plastic mats being laid on the floors of meeting houses weekly throughout the UK and wonder how many football pitches they would cover every week? I have suggested to my yoga group it would be really good if they began to actively promote the use of sustainable mats to their students in future to reflect their Quaker hosts' view. I checked out Ethical Consumer to see what they recommend but could only find reference to yoga clothing so I have contacted them to ask if they could conduct a survey on ethical yoga mats. However I did find this on t’interweb https://www.goingzerowaste.com/blog/non-toxic-sustainable-yoga-mats/ I would be very interested to hear from any Meeting House that already has a policy on the type of yoga mats that can be used on their premises. In friendship Judi Judi Brill Wardenship Egoup Administrator Resident Warden Horfield Quaker Meeting 300 Gloucester Road Horfield Bristol BS7 8PD ///beyond.always.proof Tel: 0117 942 9142 Mob: 07967 558615 horfield.warden(a)bristolquakers.org.uk https://bristolquakers.org.uk/room-hire/room-hire-at-horfield/ -- *bristolquakers.org.uk* <http://bristolquakers.org.uk> Bristol Area Quaker Meeting is registered at Companies House as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation No CE011904 and is Registered Charity No 1175435 Registered Office: Horfield Quaker Meeting House, 300 Gloucester Road, Bristol, BS7 8PD

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Meeting House Matters - Friday, 15 September
by Oliver Waterhouse Sept. 14, 2023

Sept. 14, 2023

Dear Friends, There will be a Meeting House Matters online discussion tomorrow morning, Friday, 15 September at 10.30am. I am planning to hold it as an open session tomorrow for anyone to bring topics they would like to ask for help with, or to bring any questions to. I am starting to think about sessions in 2024 as well and invite you to bring topics that you would like to have covered at a future meeting. The joining details are below and I look forward to seeing any and all who can join. * 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.

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Re: Communion wine at meeting
by Clare Barnett Sept. 11, 2023

Sept. 11, 2023

Thank you to everyone for your thoughtful responses which are really helpful. We are seeing an increase in lettings which is good news for our small meeting. In Friendship Clare Barnett Hartshill Local Meeting On Sun, 10 Sept 2023, 21:37 William Waddilove, <william(a)waddilove.co.uk> wrote: > Whilst I am not, like many, into 'communion' > (Cannibalism drinking someone's blood?) and I am certainly not TT. However > at Coventry we have an AA group who have been coming here for decades. I am > also very well aware that some people have serious problems with alcohol so > it is in support of them and everybody else that I am happy to support the > no alcohol on site policy. > When I was on the committee of the Coventry Beekeepers Association they > even declined to have a talk on mead because of the rule (I actually said > nothing at all at the time) > The Baptists that I started off with were alcohol free and held > communion and used I think then Ribena and so it is possible. > It is after all only 'symbolism'. Little wafer biscuits are even > further from 'flesh'. > I gather some Catholic priests were asking for an exemption from the drink > drive laws as they were committed to empty the chalice when they had some > spare blessed wine. I wonder what Geo Fox would have thought of that? > In a scurrilous moment I was considering giving someone I knew who went to > the recent Woodbrooke Wake a bottle of red wine to drink in the Common > (Cadbury) Room and spill a bit on the carpet - not quite at Turin Shroud > level. Can you get banned from a place that is closed? > Anyway that is my thoughts and I don't think Cov Meeting premises > committee are aven considering asking for a change to business meeting. > (Only been on it almost continuously for 40 years). > > On Sun, 10 Sept 2023 at 19:04, Room Lettings <wfmhouse(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >> We at Wandsworth have a ‘no alcohol’ policy. Friends have no problem >> with that, and it’s written into our T&Cs, which hirers have to agree to. I >> feel it’s an important part of our witness to the community as well as >> Quakers and any attenders who might come to our Meetings for worship; that >> anyone who comes into the building knows that it’s a safe, sober, place and >> there will be no pressure to drink alcohol or to try and refrain from doing >> so. Hirers understand and do stick to the rule. Quaker wedding receptions >> use fruit juice. I’ve even reminded Friends to be careful that any bought >> mince pies they bring in at Christmas time don't contain alcohol (it’s >> sometimes easy to miss unless you scrutinise the ingredients on the box). >> We have, over the years, had numerous Friends and attenders who have been - >> still are - recovering alcoholics. The odd glass, can or bottle here or >> there could so easily lead to stuff being left behind, in the cupboards >> (like the milk in the fridge!), or become the ‘thin end of the wedge’ so >> it’s much simpler, and safer for all concerned, to say ‘no alcohol’ at all >> so that everybody knows that our MH is a place which is free from alcohol. >> >> Having said that …… I think clergy taking communion is probably the one >> exception that I would be prepared to give way on. It’s not ‘recreational’ >> consumption of alcohol, as in parties, weddings or other celebratory or >> social events that hirers may want to book our premises for. I think you >> can guarantee that a small amount will be brought and consumed, and that >> they’ll wash up and dispose of the bottle sensibly - take it home if >> necessary so that it’s not visibly part of the MH’s rubbish! >> >> Or use non-alcoholic wine just this once? As clergy they ought to >> respect the conventions of the place they’re using. >> >> Hope that’s helpful and not confusing?! >> >> In Friendship, >> >> Kate Bone >> Bookings Manager >> Wandsworth Quaker Meeting House >> 07765 245 097 >> >> >> >> >> On 10 Sep 2023, at 14:27, Clare Barnett <clare(a)barnettfamily.me.uk> >> wrote: >> >> Hi all, >> We have a standard clause in our lettings policy, as I am sure many >> meetings do, saying no alcohol. >> We have had an enquiry from a group of clergy who wish to hold a >> gathering at the meeting house and as part of this hold communion. They >> wanted it know if it would be possible for them to use the communion wine >> in the ceremony. >> At business meeting today no one seemed to have any objections to this, >> but we said we would explore further what other meetings do. It feels like >> it is something which probably doesn't arise very often but I wondered if >> anyone had any thoughts or indeed any meetings have a letting policy which >> doesn't say that alcohol is prohibited? >> Kind Regards >> Clare Barnett >> Premises committee, Hartshill Local Meeting >> _______________________________________________ >> wardenship mailing list -- wardenship(a)lists.quaker.eu.org >> To unsubscribe send an email to wardenship-leave(a)lists.quaker.eu.org >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> wardenship mailing list -- wardenship(a)lists.quaker.eu.org >> To unsubscribe send an email to wardenship-leave(a)lists.quaker.eu.org >> >

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Rough Sleeper
by Gavin Mendham Sept. 5, 2023

Sept. 5, 2023

Dear Quaker Wardens Do you have experience of helping rough sleepers on your Meeting House site? We have had a recent incident of a rough sleeper using a bike canopy at a Meeting House. There is concern for the individual, why are they there, what help do they need what local help is available, how can their needs be met? The Meeting House has a number of community groups who use the building and the members of staff, warden and cleaner could be compromised, there is a safeguarding issue for staff and the community. How do we keep our staff and community users safe? These are issues Friends are exploring and we need both short and long term strategies. While this particular rough sleeper may have moved on, it is very likely this issue will return. We would welcome the experiences of Warden's and Premises Committees helping the individuals and managing these situations. In Friendship, Gavin Mendham on behalf of trustees and premises committees in East Cheshire East Cheshire Area Quaker Meeting Clerk to Trustees: Gavin Mendham : gavinmendham(a)gmail.com 112 Lacey Green,Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 4BW: mobile 07769713734 : phone 01625524862

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Free Webinar - Valuing Volunteers Wed 6th Sept
by Wendrie Heywood Sept. 4, 2023

Sept. 4, 2023

Hello Friends, I'm running our next free Webinar on Wednesday 6th September - this time on Valuing Volunteers. *Are you responsible for recruiting or managing volunteers? Would you like to learn more about motivating your volunteers? Or perhaps you would like clarity on issues surrounding policy and safeguarding?* *This is the webinar for you.* You can read all the details and book a place here: https://mindfulbusinessservices.com/valuing-volunteers-webinar Because this was the delayed July webinar, the next quarterly webinar is coming up in only a few weeks - *Ending Well* *Implementing simple close-down procedures can set you up for a successful 2024. Learn how...* Wednesday 18th October from 18.00-19.30 (BST) If you have questions you'd like to put to our volunteering management expert please send them through and we'll try to answer them on Wednesday. Yours in peace, Wendrie Heywood she/her MindfulBusinessServices.com Book a meeting with me <https://calendly.com/mindful-business-services>

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