Whitestone Parish Hall
COMMITTEE MEETING
7-00pm WEDNESDAY, 16th AUGUST, 2017
Present: Dr Jane Richards (Parochial Church Council) (Chairman) Dr Anna Kellagher (Church Hse. Ed. Fndt.) (Treasurer) Derek Fisher (Elected) (Secretary), Peter Hanson (Social Club), David Lee (Cuban Airwaves), Mary Belt (Parish Council), Sandy Oxford (Elected), Carole Jones (Book Club), Ron Bramhall (Gardening Club), Jock Kirkpatrick (Sports/Social Club), John Robinson (Elected), Laurence Blades (Whitestone Players), Irene Mathieson (Elected).
34. APOLOGIES
34.1 None
35. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING (8/5/2017)
35.1 Accepted as a true record each page signed accordingly by the Chairman.
36. MATTERS ARISING (From minutes of 8th May)
36.1 7.1 & 11.2 As requested at last meeting Sect. had contacted the supplier of the Hearing Loop about the problems being experienced by Cuban Airwaves. Supplier was doubtful if the difficulty could be overcome, pointing out that object of a hearing support system was to place a microphone as close to the sound source as possible. Committee didn’t want to provide individual lapel microphones and even then supplier was unsure this would be effective. Suggested the possibility of an ambient or boundary microphone but felt this too would result in poor sound reproduction.
JK with assistance from Bryan Durrant produced instructions to be housed with the equipment to enable all hirers to make use of the equipment.
36.2 7.2 Noted that restoration of the outer case of the piano had now been completed and the bill paid. A cover had been made for the instrument at cost of £25.
36.3 7.4 Noted that decoration of main hall and ceiling of Billiard Room had now been completed. Although the work had been achieved without the removal of radiators, the whole of the back wall had had to be stripped and re-plastered and this in turn required an addition hire charge for scaffolding. Account still awaited but must expect it to be a little more than the quotation of just under £2000.
Agreed to wait and see reaction to paint colour of two end walls. IM felt dark colour made stage look lower.
36.4 7.5 Chair advised that hall curtains now equipped with heavy duty draw strings.
36.5 7.6 Last full Committee had authorised the Peroiodic Electrical testing to take place at Christmas this year. However, Sect. having further considered the matter, it seemed more logical to get it done now whilst the hall was out of use for decorating and had therefore taken it upon himself to arrange same which had now been completed. Report and account still awaited.
36.6 7.7 Noted that Whitestone Players had forwarded a cheque paying in full for the repair to the stage tab curtains (£613 exc Vat), however, it had never been intended that they should meet the full cost and the Sub-Committee had refunded £300 to the Players.
36.7 7.9 PH had obtained three quotes for the boxing-in of the pipework in the main hall £730, £615, £1560 with no VAT payable on any of the quotes. Agreed to go for cheapest quote which included painting.
36.8 7.10 Chair had been unable to progress the effect of scotchguarding the new chairs. Agreed to purchase 1 gal. of dry cleaning fluid and also to purchase scotch guard liquid in an endeavour to protect the fabric. Prices to be researched.
36.9 7.11 Sub Committee were of the opinion that we could not afford to lose any space to the construction of an internal porch to the main hall fire door. Options externally were still being developed with suggestion that a simple glazed-in external area might suffice.
36.10 8.3 Chair reported that additional protection had now been provided on grids of kitchen hob. Cost £10.
36.11 9.3 & 12.6 Sect reported that as requested a letter of appreciation, accompanied by an orchid, had been passed to the cleaner At this point noted that Ide Parish Hall had been most grateful to visit our kitchen for ideas and CCD, who had recently hired the hall, had been impressed with the facilities.
37. SECRETARY’S REPORT
37.1 Apartfrom the hall and Billiard Room decoration mentioned before the lobby had also been decorated and the Periodic Electrical Testing carried out. The Boiler had received its annual service and the 6 monthly Fire Safety Check carried out with no action required. A recent TLC weekend had allowed PH and JK to fix a light to the Parish Hall sign on the Tedburn side of the entrance drive.
37.2 JK had bought and fixed two cycle stands (Cost £67 each), a rubberised cable connector had been purchased (£15) for use in the Billiard Room and we were to purchase a second one for use in the main hall. Agreed to purchase a second additional length for use in the main hall. A second overhead screen had been bought at a cost of £87 so there were now fixed screens in both main hall and Billiard Rooms. JK has also managed to locate some good sized radio controlled clocks for use in both rooms.
37.3 Our membership of Devon Communities Together had been renewed (£50) and the sub-committee had updated the list of accepted “Local Groups and Regular Hirers”. Bookings continue to be doing well though one hirer had to cancel a day planned at the hall as a children’s market and entertainment day due to lack of support. The organiser had paid £55 and since there were no other booking enquiries for that day it would be nice to be able to refund some of the organiser’s outlay. Agreed £40 be refunded.
37.4 Agreed to contact Tracy Baird as to possibility of carrying out a deep clean of hall floor.
38. TREASURER’S REPORT AND ½ YEARLY REVIEW OF BUDGET
38.1 Treasurer had just issued invoices for the last two months to the value of £810. The previous set of invoices had all been paid up with the exception of one small amount which was still outstanding. Current assets in the bank stood at £10,233.
38.2 In reviewing the present situation in comparison with the projected budget it was noted that receipts amounted to £12,172 for the first six months of the year as against the projection of £15,231 for the whole year whilst payments stood at £11,016 after 7.5 months against the projection of £14,805 for the whole year.
38.3 Invoices for decorating the hall, periodic electrical testing and the boxing-in of the pipes had still to be met but the Treasurer was confident that by the end of the year, with all dues paid, our reserves would be at the higher end of £4-£6K, in accordance with policy.
38.4 Although a higher spend was anticipated this year than the £14,805 budgeted we were on track to reach some £19,000 from receipts, £4,000 higher than projected income.
38.5 The projected amount spent on electricity is possibly going to be nearly double the budgeted figure (after 7.5 months it is already greater than the budget). This is partly due to increased use of the hall, but also from changing from a previous 3 year contract which terminated at the end of March and the agreement of a new (unfortunately more expensive) tariff, as well as the paying off of the final nPower account.
39. MATTERS RAISED BY REPRESENTATIVE ORGANISATIONS
39.1 IM reported that Art Group would start again in September with free session.
39.2 LB noted that Pantomime flats were now being stored at rear of stage for purposes of painting.
39.3 DL advised that Cuban Airwaves was now broadening their repertoire to include music from other countries and that Table Tennis group would also be holding a free taster session in September.
40. APPROVAL OF POLICY DOCUMENT NO 1 − PROCEDURE FOR BOOKING THE HALL, LIST OF LOCAL AND REGULAR HIRERS, BOOKING FORMS and QUALITY MANUAL −SECTION 6 and INDEX (Last Approved 8/8/2016)
40.1 Policy Document 1 referred in various places to “Local and Regular Hirers” which was at variance with the Booking forms which related to “Local Groups and Regular Hirers”. For the avoidance of doubt the sub-committee had recommend that the Policy document be amended, substituting the latter title whereever “Local and Regular Hirers” appeared. Approved.
40.2 There were no recommendations for change regarding the Booking Forms and whilst no changes were recommended in respect of the Quality Manual, a number of inconsequential changes, concerning document review dates, have been made. All changes have been forwarded for information via the Drop Box system.
40.3 JR requested that a list of dates when the various policy documents were due for review be supplied individually to Committee members. Noted
41. APPROVAL OF POLICY DOCUMENT NO 2 − CHARGES FOR HIRING THE HALL AND CONSIDERATION OF CHARGES FOR 2018. (Last Approved 20/8/2014)
41.1 Sub-Committee recommended that no change should be made in respect of hire charges for the next financial year but did wish to make a number of recommendations in respect of the financial relationship with the Parish Council as set out in the next Agenda item.
41.2 Discussion ensued on timing of setting hire fees which RB considered should be discussed at same time as setting next year’s budget. Generally felt that any developments projects were discretionary and not dependent on advance funding, ie they would be actioned if and when funding became available rather than setting hire charges against intended projects.
41.3 Agreed that hires charges for next year would remain unchanged.
42. FINANCIAL POSITION REGARDING PARISH COUNCIL
42.1 Secretary presented a paper setting out the recommendations of the sub-
committee in as much that the Committee would take over the full cost of paying for
the cleaner, thus relieving the Council of the burden but who, in turn would be
required to pay the full hire charges for their use of the hall.
42.2 After considerable discussion agreed that proposal would be adopted in its
entirety, commencing from 1st April next year. Chair to advise Parish Council
accordingly. (For 10. Against 1 (MB). Abstentions 2.)
43. HEALTH AND SAFETY INSPECTION
43.1 Dr JR and IM had carried out annual H and S Inspection on 19th June. A small number of issues had been raised and considered by sub committee.
a) A trip hazard (raised bricks) had been identified at the corner of the Green Room when pedestrians made their way to the rear of the building and this had been recitified.
b) A sign was required at the rear of the building warning car users of the possibility of pedestrians emerging from a blind spot around the side of the Green Room. (NB. Purchased but yet to be fixed).
c) Suggested more electric socket covers should be obtained but as not recommended by RoSPA − No further Action.
d) Noted that restriction on number of people using hall at any one time only applied in the case of public stage plays, performances and the like and then only when concerning number and positioning of seating.
e) A new wooden threshold was required in the outside toilet and a more conveniently placed towel rail provided in Disabled facility.(NB Towel rail already re-positioned).
44. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
44.1 Chair raised issue that a number of concerns had been raised concerning the cabling supplying power to the second Notice Board light, where it runs through the hedge. Noted that system was protected by RCD device but agreed that RB would check relevant legislation on the matter.
45. DATE OF NEXT MEETING
Sub Committee 2pm Thursday 14th September
Full Committee 7pm Monday, 13th November
There being no further business the Chairman closed the meeting at 2105 hours