Hello, Here in Oxford we have staff on duty 9am - 10pm Monday to Friday and when we have bookings at weekends. Evening and weekend shifts are covered by our much valued occasional staff. We have a number of 'uninvited' folk who come in and occasionally some who are difficult, aggressive or very demanding. A number have mental health issues. It can be really hard. We have a lone worker WhatsApp group which staff sign in and out of and which is monitored by managers. We have training sessions where we stress boundaries and why we have them (which some staff members struggle to reconcile with our open and welcoming vibe!) and in the evening ask staff to always lock the door once groups are in. We encourage staff to ring 999 if they feel uncomfortable with someone in the building. We are also putting out an appeal for members of the Meeting to be more present - drop in for tea, work in the building, meet up with friends and so on - to support staff who otherwise are working alone. Difficult issues. Good luck to everyone. Jacqui Mansfield Oxford Meeting House general manager ________________________________ From: Muswell Hill Local Meeting via wardenship Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2025 11:31 To: Quaker Wardenship Support Cc: Muswell Hill Local Meeting Subject: [wardenship] Re: Intruder policy _______________________________________________ wardenship mailing list -- wardenship@lists.quaker.eu.org To unsubscribe send an email to wardenship-leave@lists.quaker.eu.org
I really like the notion of - when there is space - inviting Friends to make use of the MH. We are trying that at Hammersmith, not making it available for people wfh with noisy zooms or whatever, but having the library open at certain times for people to read or study or contemplate or do anything else quietly. We'd thought of it as a service to the Meeting, but (as long as everyone cleans up after themselves, and don't unnecessarily distract the staff member when they are trying to work) you are right, it could also be viewed as a service to the staff. with all my best - and thanks for the new perspective, Lorna. Lorna Richardson Premises Coordinator Westminster Quaker Meeting House (Religious Society of Friends) www.westminsterquakers.org.uk www.westminsterquakers.org.uk/room-hire 07897 591961 8 Hop Gardens, off St Martins Lane, London, WC2N 4EH If requiring assistance in an emergency, call 07895 978 092 *Please note I am part-time, and work flexible working hours; I don't expect anyone to respond outside their own normal working hours.* On Thu, 1 May 2025 at 15:34, Office <office@oxfordquakers.org> wrote:
Hello,
Here in Oxford we have staff on duty 9am - 10pm Monday to Friday and when we have bookings at weekends. Evening and weekend shifts are covered by our much valued occasional staff. We have a number of 'uninvited' folk who come in and occasionally some who are difficult, aggressive or very demanding. A number have mental health issues. It can be really hard. We have a lone worker WhatsApp group which staff sign in and out of and which is monitored by managers. We have training sessions where we stress boundaries and why we have them (which some staff members struggle to reconcile with our open and welcoming vibe!) and in the evening ask staff to always lock the door once groups are in. We encourage staff to ring 999 if they feel uncomfortable with someone in the building. We are also putting out an appeal for members of the Meeting to be more present - drop in for tea, work in the building, meet up with friends and so on - to support staff who otherwise are working alone.
Difficult issues. Good luck to everyone.
Jacqui Mansfield Oxford Meeting House general manager
------------------------------ *From:* Muswell Hill Local Meeting via wardenship *Sent:* Thursday, May 01, 2025 11:31 *To:* Quaker Wardenship Support *Cc:* Muswell Hill Local Meeting *Subject:* [wardenship] Re: Intruder policy
_______________________________________________ wardenship mailing list -- wardenship@lists.quaker.eu.org To unsubscribe send an email to wardenship-leave@lists.quaker.eu.org _______________________________________________ wardenship mailing list -- wardenship@lists.quaker.eu.org To unsubscribe send an email to wardenship-leave@lists.quaker.eu.org
This is of limited relevance but our local volunteer-run museum now has a sign-in sign-out practice whereby the volunteer organiser is notified when the volunteer warden arrives and when she leaves-- each volunteer is on her own normally. So far as I know we have yet to have a nasty visitor but a past steward met overt criticism which MIGHT be interpreted as bullying. We are about 30 miles from the nearest city. Best, Margot L, erstwhile clerk to trustees On Fri, 2 May 2025 at 17:38, Westminster Wardens < westminsterwardens@gmail.com> wrote:
I really like the notion of - when there is space - inviting Friends to make use of the MH. We are trying that at Hammersmith, not making it available for people wfh with noisy zooms or whatever, but having the library open at certain times for people to read or study or contemplate or do anything else quietly. We'd thought of it as a service to the Meeting, but (as long as everyone cleans up after themselves, and don't unnecessarily distract the staff member when they are trying to work) you are right, it could also be viewed as a service to the staff.
with all my best - and thanks for the new perspective, Lorna.
Lorna Richardson Premises Coordinator
Westminster Quaker Meeting House (Religious Society of Friends) www.westminsterquakers.org.uk www.westminsterquakers.org.uk/room-hire 07897 591961 8 Hop Gardens, off St Martins Lane, London, WC2N 4EH If requiring assistance in an emergency, call 07895 978 092
*Please note I am part-time, and work flexible working hours; I don't expect anyone to respond outside their own normal working hours.*
On Thu, 1 May 2025 at 15:34, Office <office@oxfordquakers.org> wrote:
Hello,
Here in Oxford we have staff on duty 9am - 10pm Monday to Friday and when we have bookings at weekends. Evening and weekend shifts are covered by our much valued occasional staff. We have a number of 'uninvited' folk who come in and occasionally some who are difficult, aggressive or very demanding. A number have mental health issues. It can be really hard. We have a lone worker WhatsApp group which staff sign in and out of and which is monitored by managers. We have training sessions where we stress boundaries and why we have them (which some staff members struggle to reconcile with our open and welcoming vibe!) and in the evening ask staff to always lock the door once groups are in. We encourage staff to ring 999 if they feel uncomfortable with someone in the building. We are also putting out an appeal for members of the Meeting to be more present - drop in for tea, work in the building, meet up with friends and so on - to support staff who otherwise are working alone.
Difficult issues. Good luck to everyone.
Jacqui Mansfield Oxford Meeting House general manager
------------------------------ *From:* Muswell Hill Local Meeting via wardenship *Sent:* Thursday, May 01, 2025 11:31 *To:* Quaker Wardenship Support *Cc:* Muswell Hill Local Meeting *Subject:* [wardenship] Re: Intruder policy
_______________________________________________ wardenship mailing list -- wardenship@lists.quaker.eu.org To unsubscribe send an email to wardenship-leave@lists.quaker.eu.org _______________________________________________ wardenship mailing list -- wardenship@lists.quaker.eu.org To unsubscribe send an email to wardenship-leave@lists.quaker.eu.org
_______________________________________________ wardenship mailing list -- wardenship@lists.quaker.eu.org To unsubscribe send an email to wardenship-leave@lists.quaker.eu.org
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Westminster Wardens