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@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@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.
