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
Café – 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
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
Minute of the Annual General Meeting of Eassie Nevay & Kirkinch Community Association held on Tuesday 25h November 2014
Present: Bradly Yule (Chair), Debra Ritchie, John Hamilton, Fiona Brown, Philip Jenkins, Marianne Jenkins, John Brewster, Jane Brewster, Andrew Brewster, Neil McLeod, Mary Marshall. Sylvia Fleming, Linda Breckenridge, Sine Robertson, Andy Blackie
Apologies: David Ritchie, John Duffy, Ann Thorpe, Jim Breckenridge, George Marshall, Gordon Brown, Alison Ross
1. Apologies
Apologies for absence were given
2. Adoption of minute of November 2013 AGM
The minutes were approved unanimously
3. Report by the Chairman on the activities of the company
Bradly Yule reported that board members had taken responsibility for different remits: finance; policies and administration; corporate planning; communication; junior council; bookings; fund-raising and maintenance. They were supported by community members to achieve their goals and some had made more progress than others. He also reported on activities held during the past year. There had been several regular activities including yoga, zumba, kettlercise and art classes and many events, both public and private, held in the hall. He said the Board relied heavily on the enthusiasm of local members to help in the running of the organisation and thanked them for their support.
4. Financial report and accounts
A copy of the draft accounts and the cashbook spreadsheet were available to everyone present. John told the meeting that David Ritchie kept the cash-book up to date and John checked statements and prepared the accounts. This allowed for good checks on the accounts. He said that £41,793 had been raised between April 2013 and March 2014, this was divided between grants for specific purposes, fund-raising and hall lets. The largest grant was for the landscaping project and he thanked Debra Ritchie for making the grant applications to cover the cost of this. The overall figure at the end of the year was similar to that of the previous year so income had covered expenditure.
John reported that while the retention monies had been paid by cheque earlier in the year, the cheque had not yet been presented.
The balance of the account at the end of March allowed for £10,000 for the capital fund, running costs for one year and a balance of £6,000. John suggested that the capital fund should be raised to £25,000.
The accounts will be signed by an Independent examiner after they have been approved by the Board and David Ritchie.
5. Ratify the appointment of an Independent Examiner of the accounts
John Hamilton proposed Bruce Dingwall, the Finance Controller of Stagecoach, as Independent Examiner. This was approved by the meeting. Bradly thanked John for the work he had put into the accounts.
6. To consider the ratification of any co-opted Directors and/or the election of new Directors
John Duffy and Bradly Yule resigned from the Board and John Hamilton advised of his intention to step down as Director. Six Directors were willing to remain on the board. There were no nominations for new members but a couple of people had agreed to give it consideration. Bradly encouraged people to consider joining the Board or one of its sub-groups.
7. Report of buildings & operations group
Philip Jenkins reported that the landscaping on the west side of the hall had been completed. This had had a huge impact on people hiring the hall for parties and events. He thanked Ewan Grant for designing the garden and Eleanor Gledhill for her advice about the planting. There is now lighting around the hall and an external water tap and electricity socket.
The fire doors between the kitchen and hall and hall and boiler room had had a fire strip added and the main hall floor had been sanded and varnished. The hall floor will be varnished more regularly to ensure it keeps in good condition. Some decorating will need to be done in the coming year and the outside timber will need to have a coat of preservative. Philip requested support from the community with this to reduce costs.
Philip reported that the boiler had used 5 tonnes of pellets in the past 12 months at a cost of £1025. 6000kw hours of electricity had cost £1,100 so the average energy cost per week was £42. The annual cost for cleaning including products was £2,250.
8. A.O.C.B.
Andy asked about the Rural Heat Incentive; this will be considered. Jane had some information about this and will email this to John Hamilton. Fiona asked about a Defibrillator for outside the hall – something which had been suggested at the Heart Start evening in April. Memus Hall has one and there is money available to help towards the cost. Philip asked if user groups of the hall should be asked to submit comments and report to the Directors twice per year.
Andy thanked Bradly for taking the position of Chairperson for the past few years and for his work for ENKCA. Bradly thanked the Directors for their support and work during the past year.
John Hamilton suggested everyone present should bring two people with them to next year’s A.G.M.
