Minutes – Trustees and Council – 20 March 2020
Trustee and Council Joint Meeting – 20 March 2020
In attendance: Tessa Watt, Jane Hope, David Hope, Philip Cohen, Adam Hart, Frances Holliss, Rachael Cheang, Paul Vercruyssen, Jim O’Neill, Jez Taylor
Agenda
Apologies
Appointment of Minute Taker
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION
1. Urgent and important
Reaching full Agreement on general measures for minimizing health risks e.g self isolation/social distancing
Physical Closure of Centre and protocols for any staff use
Getting going Online ASAP
- for weekly Group Meditation sessions
- for events and pogrammes teachings etc
- for continuing with our strategic review /members and community meeting
- Urgent but not quite so important
New Budget Review and Approval .Key issues and action points
- How long can we manage without income
- Oddfellows letter
- Other measures to reduce outgoings
Proposal to have Joint Council and Trustee meetings from now on –monthly or more as needed-instead of current practice of separate meeting –at least for as long as the Covid-19 emergency lasts
- Important but not so urgent
Relevant information from other centres , Shamabhala Europe , PT and Board
Other things to be progressed eg longer term strategic and business planning
- Not so urgent and not so important
Members with keys can access the centre to practice.
Members without keys can request them and use the centre to practice
AOB
aDate of next Joint Council Board meeting meeting
Dates of team meetings
Minutes
Apologies – none received
Appointment of Minute Taker – Jez
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION
- Urgent and important
Reaching full Agreement on general measures for minimizing health risks e.g self isolation/social distancing
Physical Closure of Centre and protocols for any staff use
Getting going Online ASAP
- for weekly Group Meditation sessions
- for events and pogrammes teachings etc
- for continuing with our strategic review /members and community meeting
Actions
– Staff use of the centre will be minimal. Jez to attend the centre twice a week to ensure the building’s upkeep and maintenance.
– Jez to check with Oddfellows over insurance policy now that the building is mostly empty.
– Staff wages to be supported
– Group meditations session email to be sent out imminently, public email and members email.
– Jez to ensure Zoom is working well for the centre’s public Monday/Wednesday sessions.
– Request to go out to members to form delegs based on locality or already existing groups of friends to support each other
– P&E have discussed the Everyday Life classes to go ahead online, weekends much more difficult.
– Put in a link somewhere on the website to Shambhala Online course.
– Strategic Review to be postponed, both CDI and P&E regard this event to be better undertaken in person than on Zoom.
- Urgent but not quite so important
New Budget Review and Approval .Key issues and action points
- How long can we manage without income
- Oddfellows letter
- Other measures to reduce outgoings
Proposal to have Joint Council and Trustee meetings from now on –monthly or more as needed-instead of current practice of separate meeting –at least for as long as the Covit19 emergency lasts
Actions
– No government relief in the immediate future, possibly later down the line.
– £16,000 deficit of revised budget based on full rent. Letter to Oddfellows asking for rent relief – Paul Vercruyssen to draft and send to Trustees with a reply by date. Then Jez to email and send to Oddfellows on behalf of the Trustees.
– New lease negotiations, a recession may well affect rent prices.
– Finance Team to contact new SE representatives, Jo and Helmut to inform of immediate suspension of dues.
– Conversation on how much to cut Jez and Ariela’s contracted hours. New budget proposes cuts to both. Concerns voiced that there may be enough work that needs doing to not cut contracted hours. However, the future of the centre is tied to reduced spending. To be continued.
- Important but not so urgent
Relevant information from other centres , Shamabhala Europe , PT and Board
Other things to be progressed eg longer term strategic and business planning
Actions
– News from a PT Zoom call, NY has no centre but does have delegs. Email members ask them to get involved in forming delegs, Tessa will tie this in with another member’s request for help running online sessions
– Land centres, how will they survive? SI has announced grants for projects after the sale of Marpa House.
– Longer term strategic planning to be addressed in next months meeting
- Not so ugent and not so important
Members with keys can access the centre to practice.
Members without keys can request them and use the centre to practice
Actions
– Concerns about spreading of virus if members attend the centre. No decision reached.
AOB
Date of next Joint Council Board meeting meeting
Dates of team meetings
Actions
– Next meeting is scheduled for 7.30-9pm 17th April.
– Chair to form an agenda
– Attendance is optional for all team members but is requested from all trustees, the Chair of the council and team reps.
– All teams to have met before the next joint council and trustee meeting.
