Unlock Democracy (UD) Management Board

5pm Tuesday 11 December 2012

MINUT!
"resent: Chair, Vicky Seddon (VS), Stuart Weir (SW), Stuart Hill (SH), Finola Kelly (FK),
Mary Southcott (MS), Peter Hirst (PH), Phil Starr (PS). Danny inkus!Sutton on Sky"e
(DS)
In attendance: #le$ %uns&ick (#%), De"uty Director and Matthe& 'li(er (M') takin)
*inutes
#polog$es: Peter Facey
+. M$nutes and Matters #r$s$ng
,he -ollo&in) t&o *a.or corrections to the *inutes &ere a)reed
,he date should read /0th 'cto1er not +2
th
as currently.
#n additional line should 1e added in 3te* / #4M Pre" at the end:
5Clari-ication &as )i(en that no ad(ance notice &as re6uired -or a*end*ents at the #4M7
3n section 8 in House o- 9ords %e-or* it &as clari-ied that the *inutes should re-er to
1oth Ste"hen ,&i)) and 9ord Storey.
4i(en these corrections, and the editin) o- so*e *inor ty"os, the *inutes &ere then
a""ro(ed as an accurate record o- the *eetin).
Matters #risin)
#head o- the sta-- "a"er a1out "arty con-erences, SH asked that Council Me*1ers 1e
asked in ad(ance -or ideas, &hich &as a)reed.
#ct$on% #&
2. '$nances( !ta))( #dm$n
Mana)e*ent accounts
Financial "lannin)
Sta--in)
PF had circulated a note on our -inancial situation. #% )a(e the 1oard an u"date on the
or)anisation:s -inances. Cash-lo& is e$tre*ely ti)ht and as "er the note, *a.or -inancial
decisions &ill ha(e to 1e taken i- *atters do not i*"ro(e.
,here &as )eneral concern a1out ;o(a Scar*an and the re*ainin) un"aid <20,000. #%
)a(e an u"date o- the situation and its history to the 1est o- her kno&led)e. ,he =oard
a)reed &ith sta--:s strate)y > e--orts so -ar to )et the *oney 1ack, ho&e(er had se(eral
6uestions re)ardin) the le)acy and the "re(ious a)ree*ent &ith ;o(a Scar*an itsel-, &ith
so*e *e*1ers -eelin) they had not kno&n all the details. ?uestions &ere raised a1out
&hether there &as interest due on the "ay*ents and &hat &ere the details o- the &ritten
a)ree*ent.
It was agreed that Peter would give the Board a further update at the next meeting.
#ct$on% "'
#% also u"dated the =oard on the current status o- the Charita1le ,rust a""lication and
&hat *i)ht ha""en should @nlock De*ocracy recei(e a si*ilar le)acy a)ain.
The Board agreed that setting up a charitable arm was a key goal for the organisation.
It was agreed that if AR and P had not managed to meet with the Poverty and
!nvironment Trust "P!T# by the middle of ebruary then staff would stop pursuing that
option so that further progress could be made with other avenues.
#ct$on #&
It was agreed that $anny %& would present a paper to 'ouncil in ebruary( following
consultations with staff( about his plans on how the organisation can plan up)to seven
years ahead in terms of finance.
#ct$on% D*! and sta))
,he =oard &ere noti-ied o- the -act that t&o sta-- *e*1ers, 's*an Musta-a and Dan
Flana)an, are currently on sick lea(e. 's*an is currently on "aid lea(e, and is the only
sta-- *e*1er &ho is on the older *ore )enerous e*"loy*ent conditions. He has 1een
si)ned o-- &ork until the end o- the year. Sta-- are in re)ular contact. Dan *ean&hile is on
a trial sche*e &here he &orks -ro* ho*e. So -ar this has "ro(ed reasona1ly success-ul
ho&e(er it &ill 1e ke"t under re(ie& and the ho"e is that he &ill return to &orkin) in the
o--ice.
,he =oard &ished 1oth the* a s"eedy reco(ery 1ack to )ood health and asked to 1e ke"t
ad(ised.
/. +ealt, and !a)ety
#% in-or*ed the 1oard that these ha(e all 1een carried out satis-actorily.
-. 'undra$s$ng
#% )a(e an u"date on the or)anisations -undraisin) e--orts.
,he A%%, 1id has 1een -or*ally re.ected althou)h no -eed1ack has 1een )i(en yet. #%
in-or*ed the 1oard that this has *eant that sadly t&o sta-- *e*1ers &ho are on short ter*
contracts ha(e had to 1e in-or*ed that their contracts are not 1ein) rene&ed. Sta-- &ill )i(e
a -urther u"date at the ne$t *eetin) &hen -eed1ack has 1een )i(en.
3ndi(idual )i(in) is do&n 1ut it is too early to see i- this is a trend. #% in-or*ed the 1oard
that a *ailin) is currently hittin) doorste"s -ro* &hich &e should learn *ore. She
e$"lained that due to the #4M 1ein) delayed and the House o- 9ords =ill 1ein) scra""ed,
@D has e--ecti(ely *issed out on t&o *ailin)s hence the short-all in the 1ud)et.
B*ail -undraisin) is "er-or*in) a1o(e e$"ectations ho&e(er is also 1elo& 1ud)et due to
the delay in settin) u" PayPal "ay*ents. We ha(e also recently recei(ed )rants -ro* the
A%C, -or SC#, and the ;o*inet ,rust -or Vote Match. We are also &orkin) on *a.or )rants
-ro* the ,udor ,rust and Mill-ield House -or (oter re)istration &ork and the B@ -or Vote
Match.
,here -ollo&ed a 1rie- discussion a1out ca*"ai)n "riorities and -undin).
5. &odell
PS in-or*ed the 1oard %odell are in -inal ne)otiations &ith a ne& tenant -or the 1ase*ent
at 4rays 3nn %oad &ho &ants to *o(e in 1y Aanuary. He is ha""y &ith the -inancial ter*s
o- the a)ree*ent o- &hich he in-or*ed the 1oard.

/. #0M Debr$e)
"ro$y (otes
SH in-or*ed the 1oard that he &as dee"ly unha""y &ith the &ay the #4M &as handled and
&as takin) le)al ad(ice as to &hether the constitutional a*end*ents "assed &ere in order.
'ther co**ents &ere *ade a1out the #4M. So*e -elt the -act that *otions &ere a1le to
1e a*ended at the *eetin) &as to the detri*ent o- those una1le to attend or &ho had
"ro$y (oted accordin) to "re(ious de1ates. 'thers -elt the *otions the*sel(es &ere
con-usin).
#% re*inded the =oard that the Council &as constitutionally res"onsi1le -or #4M *otions
and that they &ould ne$t *eet in Fe1ruary a-ter the Mana)e*ent =oards ne$t *eetin).
The chair indicated that she would prepare a paper for 'ouncil to outline issues that
that the amendments had generated( and suggestions for action.
#ct$on% 1!
C. Members,$p
,he ne& *e*1ers lists &ere circulated and a""ro(ed.
SH su))ested a to"ic -or discussion at the ne$t *eetin) should 1e &hether to o--er -ree
*e*1ershi" to ne& local )rou"s desi)nated )eo)ra"hic areas.
,here &as )eneral discussion a1out the Mana)e*ent =oard:s ri)ht to re-use so*eone:s
*e*1ershi", &ithout the ri)ht o- an a""eal. 3t &as -elt that the ri)ht should re*ain reser(ed
1ut that an a""eal &as only -air. Whilst a)reein), #% "ointed out in si$ years this issue had
ne(er arisen.
8. !oc$al Med$a Targets
#% re"orted that ;o(e*1er &as a )ood *onth in ter*s o- &e1 tra--ic, t&itter -ollo&ers and
e*ails. We attained o(er D00 *ore e*ail addresses last *onth. She also hi)hli)hted our
online ,&el(e Scandals o- Christ*as ca*"ai)n.
E. 2ocal 0roups
#% u"dated the =oard on our local )rou"s "lan &hilst notin) that tar)ets &ill ha(e to
re(isited due to the -ailure o- the A%%, 1id.
The Board suggested that !mily Randall make a presentation to 'ouncil on *$+s strategy.
+0. 3ampa$gns4"ro5ects
PCC elections
9ords %e-or*
Vote Match
SC#
Party Fundin)
9o11yin)
Countin) Wo*en 3n (CW3)
De(olution
B$"enses
#% and &here a""ro"riate M' u"dated the =oard on the "ro)ress and successes o- @D:s
ca*"ai)ns.
++. &esponses to ot,er campa$gns
It was agreed that this item be postponed and revisited at the next meeting
+2. #.6.B
SH had t&o ite*s.
He su))ested that the issue o- co!o"tin) "eo"le to Mana)e*ent =oard 1e discussed. ;o
decision &as reached.
He also re6uested that the *inutes 1e circulated in a ti*ely *anner. M' in-or*ed the
=oard that he &ould -inish a dra-t ne$t day and circulate to #% and VS, and that he &as
keen to )et the* done 1e-ore )oin) on lea(e the -ollo&in) &eek.
,he *eetin) ended at a""ro$i*ately C./0"*.
T,e date o) t,e ne7t meet$ng $s Tuesday 5 'ebruary 2012.