Board meeting April 2015


Minute of the Eassie, Nevay & Kirkinch Community Association Board meeting held on Wednesday 15th April 2015 at Eassie & Nevay Hall

Present: Jane Brewster, Andrew Brewster, Philip Jenkins, Debra Ritchie.

Apologies: Marianne Jenkins, Andy Blackie

1.    Welcome & apologies

Marianne and Andy were unable to attend the meeting.

2.  Finance

Debra brought a new bank mandate for Philip and Jane to complete.

Jane had been given a pen to check for counterfeit bank notes by Santander but the Board agreed to consider purchasing a machine which was more reliable.

3.   Business Development

Andrew gave a presentation on a new style web site which the Board agreed would be suitable as it was easy to use and would provide a facility for buying tickets and goods online and making donations. This facility may be used in the future. The site will cost £60 per year initially and £120 per year should the Board decide to use the e-commerce facility. Andrew will liaise with Melissa Lawrence and set up the new web site. It will not go live until the Board has approved it.

4.   Policy & Administration

Insurance – Jane mentioned that the insurance document referred to cover for a wind turbine and not the flat plate solar water panels. Debra will advise the insurance company of the need for this to be changed.

Hall capacity – Total hall capacity is now 195, Debra will advise the insurance company about this.

5.   Lettings/Events

Jane reported that there had been an enquiry about a wedding in 2016. Shona Sutherland now has her own kitchen so will no longer hire the kitchen for her chocolate workshops.

6.   Communication

Jane asked if a paper newsletter could be written and distributed around the area once again. There are some newcomers to the area and she felt a newsletter with information about the hall would inform them about regular and up and coming events. Andrew and Jane will draft the newsletter.

7  Fund-raising

Philip sent photographs of the Art Nouveau bowl to an auction room in Perth and asked for an approximate value but had no reply. He will contact Taylors in Montrose.

Andy has a buyer for the old wooden benches. Jane will speak to him about this as Mary is keen to have the ones she is storing removed.

Debra reported that her application to the Gannochy Trust for outdoor garden furniture and chairs for within the hall was refused.

Jane suggested ENKCA could ask local businesses to advertise on the web site and this money would be ring-fenced for specific projects. A business may be willing to sponsor the newsletters.

There will be a coffee morning in May and helpers are required.

New pillates classes will run on Wednesday mornings and evenings starting at the end of April and another Yin Yoga class will be held in May.

The local author James Robertson had agreed to give a talk and ENKCA will share the profits with the Newtyle Path Network. This will be held towards the end of the year. Cheese and wine will be served and included in the entrance price.

8.   Buildings maintenance

Philip had bought seeds for the garden, 40% cornflower, 30% corn poppy, 20% corn marigold and 10% Mayweed. Children from the school will sow the seeds. The garden has been dug over twice, topsoil added and the ground prepared for planting. 10 bags of stones and 3 bags of weeds had been collected and Andrew and Jane will remove these.

Three of the four trellis panels had been erected and the fourth will be added by the end of April. Bedding plants are required.

On 3rd July the main hall floor will be sanded. The hall cannot be used on 4th and 5th July. This will cost approximately £500 plus VAT.

Painting of the main hall will be £820 including VAT, a date still has to be arranged. The Dado rail needs to be fitted first at 830mm fixed above floor level.

Eye bolts at 2 – 2.5 metres above floor level will be fitted so event organisers can hang bunting etc. Andy will source the bolts and Philip and Andy will install them. Jane asked if this could be done before 22 May as there will be a wedding in the hall and they have requested a facility for hanging decorations. Philip will discuss this with Andy.

The leaking cistern in the ladies has been fixed.

Philip said volunteers are required to water the plants as some are in danger of drying out. Debra offered to do this on Tuesday and Thursdays.

The storage trolley was deferred until the next meeting.

9.   Date of next meeting

The next meeting will take place on Wednesday 13th May at 7pm.

Board meeting February 2015



Minute of the Board meeting of Eassie Nevay & Kirkinch Community Association on Monday 16th February 2015

Present: Andrew Brewster, Jane Brewster, Debra Ritchie, Marianne Jenkins, Philip Jenkins, Andy Blackie

1. Welcome and apologies

There were no apologies for absence

2. Finance

The cashbook spreadsheet had been circulated to the Directors with the agenda. There were no extraordinary payments or receipts since the previous meeting and the financial position was unchanged.

3. Business development

Andrew had spoken to David Lawrence about the discount card he had previously mentioned. Andrew will invite David to attend a future meeting to discuss further.

4. Policy & Administration

Marianne had researched the maximum capacity of the hall and it was agreed that a policy will be created to clarify numbers for future lets. These are:

Seated audience in main hall – 150 with 8m₂ for staging.

Seated audience in main hall – 140 with larger stage

Dance event - 130

CafĂ© – 35

Marianne will write to Angus Council to inform them that the overall capacity of the hall is 185. Marianne will update the relevant sheet and put it in the admin folder and send a copy to Board members.

5. Lettings/events

Andy informed the Board that Joyce Ramsay has been booked for the Hogmanay party this year.

a) More crockery and cutlery will be bought as they are needed for a wedding in May. Marianne will order two dozen crockery and cutlery items and 96 tall glasses. Some of the bar glasses will have to be put into storage as there is not sufficient room for an additional 96 glasses. It was agreed that the coca-cola glasses can be moved to storage. The order will cost £700 including discount and lining for the glasses which will allow them to have air beneath them will cost £7.80 for 3 metres. 9 metres will be bought.

b) Ratification of fees

This was deferred to the next meeting. A pdf of current charges can be printed from the web site and Board members were asked to bring a copy with them to the meeting.

c) Jazz night

Tickets were slow to sell with just over 30 sold or considering to buy. Andy had contacted Radio Tay to seek publicity and had tried to contact Angus Council What’s On. A push for

sales will be made. The Board will set up on Friday night and Andy will buy wine. Debra will buy party type food.

d) Request from external contractors to erect lights in main hall

Debra had received a request via the web site for a wedding party to erect lights in the main hall. Andy will contact the person and discuss what can be done for them.

6. Communications

Michael Ryan had given the passwords for the electronic noticeboard to Philip who will pass them to Andrew. Andrew will ask David Lawrence about changing the web site to one that is more easily altered by community members with less knowledge of web pages.

7. Fund-raising

There was no report but it was agreed that with some additional expenditure planned for 2015 fund-raising was a priority.

8. Building maintenance

Philip had cleaned the boiler and bought glue to re-stick the stage carpets that had come loose. More fuel for the boiler will need to be bought in March. The entrance hall been repainted and a quote for the main hall was £825 plus VAT. Cupboards in room 2 will be discussed at the next meeting.

Philip suggested a storage trolley with castors would be suitable for the store room. Andy will look at the costs of making one and report to the next meeting. The company who re-sanded the main hall floor were due to look at it and see when they think it should have a light sand again.

9. Date of next meeting
The next meeting will be on March 11th at 7pm

Board meeting January 2015



Minute of the Eassie, Nevay & Kirkinch Community Association Board meeting held on Monday 19th January 2015 at Eassie & Nevay Hall

Present: Jane Brewster, Andrew Brewster, Marianne Jenkins, Philip Jenkins, Debra Ritchie, Andy Blackie

1. Welcome & apologies

There were no apologies for absence.

2. Election of Office Bearers

Bradly Yule and John Duffy had resigned at the Annual General Meeting and John Hamilton had intimated his intention to resign but had offered to audit the accounts each year.

Andrew Brewster offered to take the position as Chairperson and Andy Blackie seconded this. Debra agreed to continue as Secretary and Marianne agreed to continue to take responsibility for policies and administration. Philip suggested that all Directors could chair meetings. Debra asked if the agenda could be simplified and this was agreed.

3. Finance

Debra had sent the Board a copy of the up to date cashbook spreadsheet which showed that income was meeting expenditure. There was some discussion about increasing revenue in the next financial year and a target of £30,000 after all outstanding cheques had been presented was set. It was considered important that the community was kept informed about costs and how much was being raised to meet these.

4. Policy & administration

Marianne will check to confirm the capacity of the hall under the entertainment licence. She will check this figure with the Insurance company. Marianne will contact the Fire Officer to tell him all work he identified that needed to be done has been completed

5. Events/Lets

Marianne had prepared a list of the cost of crockery and cutlery. It was agreed to buy 24 of each crockery and cutlery item to bring the number of items to 140. This will cost approximately £600 and is required for a wedding in the hall later this year. Andy and Andrew will review the stock of bar glasses to see what is required.

Jane told the meeting that the letting information on the web site was incorrect and she would like to see a simplified Conditions of Let as a pdf which could go on the web site and be available for potential hirers of the hall. A full Conditions of Let would be available in the hall.

There was discussion about consistency of lettings. The agenda for the next meeting will include the ratification of fees for 2015/16.

Debra said she was concerned that a small band of volunteers was doing the majority of the work and there is a need to recruit more to help, even if just two or three times per year. Andrew raised the point that some attenders of events over the Christmas period had not appreciated that ENKCA was running a community bar and that it could not stock the same number of items as a business. He asked if a sign could go onto the bar informing them that the bar was run by volunteers to raise funds for the hall. A donation jar on the bar might encourage people to donate their change to hall funds.

Tickets for the jazz night are beginning to sell - £10 per ticket of which £3 will go to ENKCA. ENKCA will provide a small supper. Andrew will take responsibility for the bar and Jane suggested cocktails.

6. Fund-raising

Debra reported that she had applied to the Gannochy Trust for a grant to buy new chairs for inside the hall and three benches for outside the hall. Jane had spoken to Agrico about the garden and although they had said they were interested they had not been specific. Jane will order the plaque with the current list of benefactors.

7. Communication

Andrew reported that he was working on the web site and mailing list. He was looking at building a new web site which would be easier to use.

8. Buildings and maintenance

Andy had arranged for the hall lobby to be paid at a cost of £200. He will ask for a quotation for the main hall. Two quotations had been received for building administration cupboards in room 2. The Board agreed to appoint the cheaper of the quotes which was approximately £1400. The main hall will have a light sanding and a

re-coat later in the year. Trellis and posts for the honeysuckle will cost approximately £100. A PDF will go on the screen in the hall to show the costs to ENKCA for this maintenance.

Philip said that eye bolts will be positioned in the main hall so that users can erect bunting etc.

A refill of the boiler will probably be needed in February.

Marianne reported that the water rates exemption scheme is to continue ENKCA has to register before July 2015. Marianne will do this.
Marianne suggested that the heating controls should be changed by a few people only. It was agreed that Andy, Andrew, Philip and David Ritchie will be the only people responsible for this. The weekly checks will be reviewed. An opportunity for people to have a refresher or to learn about how to do the weekly checks will be on Sunday 1st February at 2pm.

The date for the spring clean is 21st March 10am – 4pm.

9.   Date of next meeting
The next meeting will be at 7.30pm on Monday 16th February