Unlock Democracy

Management Board
Minutes
11
th
October 2011
Present
Peter Hirst (PH), Tamsin James (TJ), Finola Kelly (FK), Vicky Seddon (VS)(chair), Nan Sloane
(NS), Phil Starr (PS), Mark Valladares (MV)
Apologies
Stuart Weir
In attendance
Peter Facey (PF), le! "uns#ick ("),$eor%e Morran ($M) Mary Southcott (MS)
VS o&ened the meetin% and #elcomed $M and MS 'rom the (am&ai%n 'or the )n%lish
"e%ions ((F)")*
1 Minutes and Matters Arising
The minutes #ere a&&ro+ed as a correct record* There #ere no matters arisin%*
2 !elationship "ith #ampaign $or the %nglish !egions
PF e!&lained that discussions ,e%an t#o years a%o a,out #orkin% more closely #ith (F)"*
&ro&osal #as &ut to (ouncil #ho #ere concerned a,out creatin% another ,rand* He
re&orted that 'urther discussion ha+e no# taken &lace a,out ho# all those #ho ,elie+e in
democratic decentralisation could #ork to%ether* The current &ro&osal, su,-ect to (F)"
rati'ication, is that an ad+isory ,oard is esta,lished, that makes use o' (F)" e!&ertise, to
su&&ort local net#orks around the country in their cam&ai%nin% #ork* PF em&hasised any
-oint #orkin% #ork #ould ,e a,out su&&ortin% ,ottom u& decentralisation that reco%nises
that di''erent communities may ha+e di''erent cam&ai%nin% &riorities*
FK e!&ressed concern that &u,lic enthusiasm 'or decentralisation may ha+e ,een dama%ed
,y the %o+ernments localism rhetoric that 'ails to deli+er meanin%'ul chan%e*
The proposal on joint working with CFER was approved
& 'inances( )ta$$( Admin
Management accounts
PF re&orted that as he had &re+iously #arned ./ is runnin% a de'icit* Some o' the reasons 'or
this ha+e ,een resol+ed 0 'or e!am&le the %rant 'rom No+a Scarman has no# ,een recei+ed*
Ho#e+er other issues remain 0 the outstandin% le%acy is still su,-ect to le%al ne%otiations, and
it is still &ro+in% di''icult to raise %rant income*
The accounts were approved.
)ta$$ing
PF re&orted on the Fundraisin% Mana%er and the decision not to a&&oint* He reminded M1 that
this is the third recruitment &rocess run 'or a 'undraisin% role that has ,een unsuccess'ul and
&ro&osed se&aratin% out the 'undraisin% and mem,ershi& 'unctions in the role and recruitin% a
more -unior Mem,ershi& 2''icer*
NS commented that &ro'essional 'undraisers can almost set their o#n salary at the moment
and that it is unlikely that ./ #ould ,e a,le to recruit a senior 'undraiser at a salary the
or%anisation could a''ord* She recommended that this should ,e re+isited at a later date and
that ,rin%in% in outside e!&ertise 'or s&eci'ic ,ids should also ,e considered* Ho#e+er she
added that it is &ossi,le 'or the or%anisation to de+elo& its mem,ershi& #ork and indi+idual
%i+in% no#*
MV asked ho# much time the Fundraisin% Mana%er #ould ha+e s&ent on mem,ershi& #ork3
PF re&lied the role assumed a&&ro! 4 days #ould ,e s&ent on indi+idual %i+in% and 5 days on
mem,ershi& 'unctions, althou%h this also assumed that the 2utreach ssistant #ould s&end 4
days on mem,ershi& as #ell* 6' a current %rant a&&lication is success'ul the 2utreach ssistant
#ill ,e more cam&ai%ns 'ocused and the intention is that ne# role #ould take o+er all
mem,ershi& 'unctions*
MV asked ho# additional 'undraisin% e!&ertise #ould ,e 'unded3
NS commented that the usual &rocess #ith ,id #ritin% is that the costs o' the 'undraiser are
,uilt into the ,id*
VS asked #hat &ro%ress had ,een made on re&lacin% the data,ase3
PF re&orted that althou%h #ork has ,e%un on 'indin% a suita,le alternati+e to our current
data,ase, it had not yet ,een commissioned*
TJ a%reed that ./ should rethink its structures in li%ht o' the recent recruitment e!&eriences
,ut su%%ested that as 'undraisin% e!&ertise #ill still ,e re7uired, the mem,ershi& role should
,e o''ered on a 'i!ed term ,asis*
It was agreed that UD should create a Memership !""icer role. It was "urther agreed
that a jo description would e circulated # e$mail "or approval and that the
appointment would e "or a % #ear "i&ed term.
Further to discussion at the &re+ious M1 meetin% PF &ro&osed amendin% the sta'' terms and
conditions to include a ne# salary ,and* This #ould ,e called the trainin% #a%e and #ould ,e
the 8ondon 8i+in% #a%e* Ho#e+er it #ould only ,e a+aila,le 'or short term a&&ointments and
no mem,er o' sta'' #ould ,e a,le to remain on this &ay ,and 'or more than one year*
The proposal to add a training wage to the salar# ands was approved.
*ealth and )a$ety
VS re&orted that she ins&ected the health and sa'ety records a'ter the last meetin% and that
e+erythin% #as in order and u& to date*
+ !odell
The Mana%ement ccounts #ere noted*
PF re&orted that estimates #ere ,ein% sou%ht 'or re&lacin% the li%htin% and decoratin% the
communal areas o' (ynthia Street* He added that to date there ha+e ,een 9 +ie#in%s o' the
to& 'loor o' (ynthia Street ,ut none at $rays 6nn "oad* He commented that the likelihood is
that ./ #ill need to mo+e to $rays 6nn "oad* The uncertainty o' ./:s &osition also makes it
di''icult to rent the ,ack o''ice*
PS su%%ested that ./ should seek ad+ice 'rom the estate a%ents as to #hether the to& 'loor o'
(ynthia Street #ould ,e easier to let i' em&ty* 6' the ans#er is yes he &ro&osed that ./ should
mo+e*
MV asked i' there #ould need to ,e accommodations made to ensure that the $rays 6nn "oad
&ro&erty meets the needs o' the sta'' team*
PF re&lied that some mem,ers o' sta'' ha+e already indicated that they are minded not to
mo+e #ith the or%anisation to $rays 6nn "oad* He added that he #ould e!&lore i' there are
#ays o' addressin% their concerns ,ut it may not ,e &ossi,le to reach a com&romise on all
issues*
It was agreed to seek advice as to whether it would e easier to let C#nthia 'treet i" it
was empt# and that i" so serious consideration should e given to UD moving to the
(ra#s Inn Road propert#.
, -ocal .roups
&a&er ,y J$ on the 'uture o' local %rou&s had &re+iously ,een circulated* This #as in
res&onse to the continuation o' the ;es (am&ai%n and T1P $rou& #ho #ished to retain their
autonomy #hilst ha+in% a #orkin% relationshi& #ith ./ and )"S* 2ur current arran%ement 'or
local %rou&s could not accommodate this*
VS said that she #as e!cited ,y this a&&roach to su&&ortin% the %rassroots and %i+in% local
%rou&s some autonomy* She also #elcomed the &ro&osals in the &a&er*
PH asked i' it #ould ,e &ossi,le to set u& a loose structure or steerin% %rou& 'or local %rou&s*
PF re&lied that this o&tion #as ,ein% e!&lored ,ut the &rinci&le o' the &a&er #as to ensure that
./ #as a,le to ,e res&onsi+e to ne# de+elo&ments and su&&ort %rassroots acti+ism rather
than -ust &articular structures*
There #as consensus that the &a&er should ,e amended so that <sus&end= is re&laced ,y
<ceased to ,e acti+ely encoura%ed= and <strate%y= is re&laced #ith <re+ie#=*
It was agreed UD should seek to work with autonomous activists and networks such as
the )Democrac# "or ...* movement.
It was agreed that UD should write a new local groups strateg#.
It was agreed that the constitutional provisions relating to local groups are out o" date
and should e reviewed in light o" the new local groups strateg#.
It was agreed that there should e an initial rie"ing on approaches to supporting local
groups at the "irst Council meeting in %+,% and that a "ull strateg# paper should e
presented to the second meeting "or decision.
It was agreed that an# constitutional amendments made necessar# # a new local
groups strateg# should e proposed to the %+,% -(M.
The proposals relating to working with the Electoral Re"orm 'ociet# and Take .ack
/arliament were approved.
/ Membership
The mem,ershi&s o' the t#o collea%ues 'rom (F)" #ere 'ormally noted*
It was agreed that a "ull list o" new memers would e scrutinised at the ne&t meeting
which would e within the re0uired 1+ da# period.
0 'undraising
PF re&orted that a %rant a&&lication to #ork on House o' 8ords re'orm, &arty 'undin% and
lo,,yin% trans&arency had ,een su,mitted to J""T* He added that an a&&lication had also
,een su,mitted to the James Madison Trust to do #ork on +aria,le de+olution in )n%land*
He also u&dated M1 on the ne%otiations #ith Tele%ra&h Media %rou& a,out the .S +ersions
o' Vote Match*
1 #ampaigns 2 Pro3ect
4oter registration
" thanked FK 'or raisin% the issue and dra#in% it to the sta'':s attention* She re&orted on the
#ork that had ,een done liaisin% #ith other or%anisations a,out the %o+ernment &ro&osals on
6ndi+idual )lector "e%istration and the &ossi,ility o' takin% out a -udicial re+ie#* She
commented that as a result o' the actions ./ had taken, 5>?@ &eo&le had #ritten to their MP
and A4@ MPs had recei+ed letters* " in'ormed M1 that there had already ,een a num,er o'
7uestions in Parliament a,out the &ro&osals and the /e&uty Prime Minister had indicated that
the %o+ernment #ere #illin% to mo+e on some areas* The deadline 'or consultation res&onses
is Friday and " con'irmed that ./ #ould ,e su,mittin% e+idence*
There was a vote o" thanks to sta"" "or all their hard work.
-ords !e$orm
PF re&orted that ./ has su,mitted e+idence to the Joint (ommittee as #ell as o+er B,C>>
su,missions 'rom mem,ers o' the &u,lic*
Bill o$ !ights
PF re&orted that SW is dra'tin% ./:s e+idence to the (ommission on a 1ill o' "i%hts and that
./ has also su,mitted e+idence to the consultation on rticle @ 0 the ri%ht to 'amily li'e*
)#A
PF u&dated M1 on the #ork that #as ,ein% done re%ardin% the re%ulations 'or the Sustaina,le
(ommunities ct*
5 A.M Planning
PF re&orted that callin% notices 'or the $M ha+e ,een sent out and that e!ternal s&eakers are
also ,ein% in+ited so that there is a ,alance ,et#een 'ormal ,usiness and &olicy de,ate*
10 AOB
VS asked that sta'' &ro&ose dates 'or 5>C5 (ouncil meetin%s so that these can ,e made
a+aila,le to anyone #ishin% to stand 'or election*
VS reminded M1 o' the motion that had ,een &assed ,y (ouncil re%ardin% Presidents and
Vice Presidents and asked 'or su%%estions to ,e emailed to her*
It was agreed that the Decemer meeting would e adjourned promptl# to enale M. to
socialise a"ter the meeting. It was "urther agreed that sta"" would e invited to join M..
6he ne7t meeting is on 6uesday 1&
th
December