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@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.