Steering Group Meetings

Last Meeting:

07/06/06 - Outcomes

In Attendance:

Tom Barker

Karl Huggins

Jan Barker

Eileen Crascall

Meeting was good, though shame not to have keith or linda, quite short but we're at a position where lots of the work towards funding bids is required before much more prgress can be made.

1. Feedback on minutes from last meeting.

People happy with shortened format.

2. Note correspondence since last meeting.

No real correspondnce to speak of since last meeting.

3. Update on current position: premises situation

Premises estimate received from SCC - approx. £18,000 over 3 years.

website:

Up and running, needhaminternetcafe.org needs some work but all documents are at least easily accessible now.

funding:

TB & KW to liaise ref. lottery bid, aim to write up and have finished full bid by end of summer. TB to contact the Kerrison Trust.

4. Where next? General discussion of how to move the project forward.

The lottery bid is key now, research is done, justification there, interaction, involvement and participation of young people, fingers crossed and this can be a really fantastic project!

26/04/06 - Outcomes

In attendance:

Tom Barker

Linda Nixon

Keith Whitton

Jan Barker

Karl Huggins

The meeting went well again. None of the youngsters turned up, which was a little disappointing - but Karl did say that Billy had reminded him about it earlier in the week, so it would seem that the enthusiasm is still there.

(See below for action required and taken.)

1. Feedback on minutes from last meeting.

Nobody had read them. Given the lack of interest, these notes will be presented largely in note form.

2. Note outgoing correspondence since last meeting.

Discussion on letters sent and received. More discussion on what the dogs on the crest are. See later.

3. Update on current position:

premises situation;

website; and

funding.

Various discussion confirming the statements by Vince and SCC, talk about Linda's requirements re funding, and discussion of the routes to go down now for key funding.

4. Explore ways to expand the number of company directors.

Discussion about the need for a broader directorship. As before, it was agreed that widening the base will be much easier once the cafe is operating and people can come along and get involved.

5. Examine situation relating to possible remuneration of directors.

TB clarified situation regarding paying directors. They can be re-numerated.

6. Discuss CRB checks - who needs them? how much do they cost? where can the organisation get funding for them from? who can help organise them?

Everyone working within the cafe will get them. Doesn't really need doing now. Discussion on how we might fund them for everyone who gets involved. Everyone will need advanced checks, helps organisational credibility as much as anything else. LN to try to get check arranged for TB.

7. Where next? General discussion of how to move the project forward.

Need to tie down premises, put funding bid together for big lottery, talk to middle school.....

Actions

Action Required: Find out what the dogs on the crest are.

Action Taken: The heraldic description is as follows: "Gules a fess betweens six mullets argent; crest out of a ducal coronet, or, an ash tree proper; Supporters, to greyhounds sable, their faces, breasts and feat argent, collared and lined."

Action Required: Contact Vince. Ask him to provide us with a formal letter stating that we can operate from the YC premises (which we need to put our bid to the lottery - the funding in kind would help provide us with leverage).

Action Taken: None yet. I spoke to Vince only a week or so ago, so don't want to chase too often. Still waiting to hear from them.

Action Required: Approach Eileen re becoming a director.

Action Taken: Letter sent 2/5/06. Eileen agreed to become director after explanation of duties and responsibilities. Form 288a - appointment of director - sent to Companies House 13/05/06.

Action Required: Put together a model invoice.

Action Taken: Done 2/5/06.

Action Required: Invoice Linda - extended schools - £100

Action Taken: Done. Letter sent 2/5/06.

Action Required: Create a financial policy for director's expenses.

Action Taken: Done. Need to agree mileage - have taken figure used by council as a guide.

Action Required: Download Big Lottery Application Forms. Arrange meeting with Keith to run through preliminary application form.

Action Taken: Forms ready to print at work. Meeting with Keith in Limes where we agreed format of bid. Outline proposal completed, discussed, amended and now ready for signing and sending away this week (w/c 22/5/06). Details of documents submitted will be on the website.

Action Required: Email Sue Hull (middle school) to arrange meeting to discuss way forward with young people.

Action Taken: Email sent, meeting arranged. Went to see Sue 15/5/06 at the Middle School. Positive conversation resulting in agreement for me to go to Middle School and speak at an assembly in around 2 weeks. Then arrange that those wanting to be involved contact through the school council - who I will go and see the week after assembly. We can then arrange a working group who will get together whenever is best for the young people - probably 1 lunch hour per month - to discuss their involvement, what they want and how we go about providing it.

Action Required: Put funding bid in to District Council for minor grant.

Action Taken: Forms ordered - not yet completed.

Next meeting is in the Youth Club at 5.30pm on Wednesday 7th June 2006.

- TB 21/05/06

___________________________________

Meeting - 22/03/06 - Outcomes:

In attendance:

Tom Barker

Linda Nixon

Keith Whitton

Jan Barker

Freddy Fenton

Billy, Troy and one of the Youth workers from the Youth Club (whose name I've bloomin' forgotten!)

The meeting was positive again. Getting input from young people at this early stage is important so having youngsters at this SG meeting was really good.

2. Receive completed questionnaires from Linda... and any analysis or results.

Linda has put together some analysis of the questionnaires. The middle school results were particularly pleasing, especially the number of children looking to get involved. So many in fact that we've decided to have a separate get together with all the young people who have responded.

Required action: TB to write to middle school and thank them for the high returns. Also, contact all young people who gave their contact details to tell them the situation and explain a further meeting at a later date once we have more of the boring stuff (initial funding bids, premises etc) sorted out. That meeting will be to put detail to the idea - how many computers, what type of gaming system, what software, design of the website, logo etc.

Action Taken (23/03/06): TB has written to middle school saying we will write again soon to class 8PG and phone those who gave numbers.

3. Premises.

Required action: TB to email Vince Prank and Rosalind Turner - copy in Dave Thomas. Arrange meeting to discuss formal approach to use the youth club premises - need to know either way: yes - given as a grant 'in-kind' / yes - with rent / no. LN to mention potential benefits to various people within SCC & JAG.

Action Taken (24/03/06): TB had meeting with Vince Prank, Friday 24/3. See other email related specifically to this.

4. Bank account

Opened with Barclays. No account number yet... to follow.

5. Funding

Some funding from extended schools - £100 - to buy domain name and get hosting.

Required action: LN to send money. TB to approach TC for start-up admin funds, £100 or so.

Key thing is to sort premises though, nothing much more can be done until we know where we stand with regard to our relationship with Suffolk County Council.

Action Taken (24/03/06): Again, see further email relating to premises.

6. Website - agreement on name:

needhaminternetcafe.org

was the agreed choice, on the basis that it's a smallish fee, other domains can be bought again for a small fee (£8-10), and it's worthwhile to get a name, get documents hosted properly so that the address can be sent to potential funders etc.

Start-up costs to be covered by minor grant from SCC extended schools.

Required action: TB to buy domain name and get hosting (free for x months if possible).

7. Any other business:

Trading start date to align with the financial year (makes sense as we're so close to that date) - 6/04/06. So our accounts will run with the financial year.

Thought to be given to getting more directors, to widen the decision making structure.

Is logo okay to use?

Required action: TB to check with Jo Lea (Town clerk) about using the town sign.

Action Taken (24/03/06): TB sent email to TC - to be raised at next meeting - 05/04/06.

Next meeting is in the Youth Club at 6.45pm on Wednesday 26 April 2006.

TB - 24/03/06

___________________________________

First Meeting:

26/10/05 - Outcomes:

The Steering Group met for the first time in late October. Not everyone was able to attend, but it was decided that to keep things moving along the meeting was a good idea anyway.

In attendance:

Tom Barker

Zena Fenton

Young Mr Fenton (Zena's son, whose name I (stupidly) didn't write down)

Linda Nixon

Those not in attendance, but who have displayed an interest:

Keith Whitton

Ray Darnell

The meeting was very positive.

Everyone appears to be facing in the same direction and the overall vision for the project is clear. I gave copies of all existing documentation to everyone and the business plan was generally accepted - including the emphasis on self-management and the community providing for itself (with financial/premises help from funders and statutory bodies).

The scope for growth was highlighted, with a variety of ideas coming to the surface early in discussions. It was agreed that the organisation should grow 'organically' ie growth should come naturally from the greater involvement and empowerment of users.

It was also agreed that while the organisation is reliant on external funding, activities will be constrained by what is currently fashionable to fund. At the same time, if the organisation opens itself to the market and seeks to fund itself, this also produces a host of potential constraints (ie the requirement to put income-producing activities ahead of socially beneficial ones).

Bearing in mind the fact that commercial Internet Cafe's in rural areas are not generally (ever!) financially viable, we are going to need funding. We want free drop in access as an absolute, otherwise it becomes exclusive. So it will need funding. It was agreed that funding is out there and that we will need to tap into it. This will mean tailoring specific programs to specific target groups, it'll mean getting money in for specific projects, it'll also mean a steep learning curve.

So, the meeting lasted around an hour and a half and discussions touched on a host of topics. The outcomes from the meeting are:

1. A formal organisation needs to be created. This should be a Company Limited by Guarantee, which should obtain Community Interest Company status based it's non profit, community-benefit, ethos.

I will be responsible for this, and hope to get the bulk of the work done during this week (which I've booked off work).

2. Premises need to be formally identified and confirmed. The Community Education and Youth Club building is seen by all members of the Steering Group as the most attractive premises in the town. Various discussion took place and the Youth Club seem enthusiastic about incorporating their existing premises - including their music-making facility - into the project.

A brief run-down of premises-related discussions follows:

Youth Club / Community Education Centre:

Current uses:

Youth Club

CAB outreach

Community Education and Supporting Community Adolescence office

Also various other events including book sales, band practice and disco's.

Building un-used most evenings, and during the day minimal use is made of the entire space.

Proposed further uses:

Internet cafe (in the back room)

Social space (in the main room)

Film showing area (main area)

IT-enabled meeting, seminar and presentation space (main area)

Computer club (main area)

The key areas of conflict appear to be:

Potenially disruptive for Comm-Ed workers

Impact on the distinct Youth Club space

Potential disruption to CAB space - which is not being used anymore!

A previously quiet space becomes busy, alive and vibrant.

The opportunities for synergy include:

Extends the facilities for young people to every night

Extends CAB reach through literature and computer link-ups

Increases the usage of a community space

Increases community integration, involvement and cohesiveness.

The project meets a lot of the objectives for the building, and provides a good opportunity for SCC to become involved in the improvement of services to the people of the town.

Both me and Zena are going to pursue this from different angles, with the acknowledgement that it could be difficult to get agreement and is likely to require a significant effort to convince them. One way of doing this will be to have a community supported presentation to convince them of the justification.

Additional proof of the justification should be provided by the third outcome from the meeting.

3. A questionnaire should put to all young people in the area.

The questionnaire was written by me and pilotted at the Youth Club. The pilot showed a few things:

The facilities mentioned were generally well received. All respondents wanted an Internet access area, with the majority also wanting gaming and social areas with the provision of food & drink. No further suggestions were given.

Most people ticked all of the 'services offered' boxes. Of those who didn't tick every box, Internet Access and Gaming were the priorities. The difference between what services should be offered and what would actually be used was generally understood, with lots of people saying that all services should be offered, but that they would personally use specific services.

The questionnaire produced very positive results with regard to the usage of any facilities provided. Of the 17 returned, 2 answered 'Don't know', 3 left it blank, and the rest all said they would use the facilities more than once per week with 2 people expecting to come every day.

In the verbal feedback session some wider issues were explored:

Concerns about security - some kids will smash it up. Very positive feedback on the potential effects of community ownership and self management though - will they really want to smash what is theirs? If a real sense of ownership can be achieved, concerns about security become much less stark.

Confusions/grumbles: Wasn't clear enough that it was planned for Needham Market. No indication of costs - charge will influence frequency of use. Needs a 'return to' address.

This questionnaire has been re-worked as a result of the pilot. It will be put to young people through a variety of channels - Linda will put them round the Primary and Middle School, and the relevant people at the High Schools nearby. Zena will put them round at the Youth Club and her son (sorry, forgotten his name!!) said he'd try to get some out at street level (ie among those young people who might be hard to reach through traditional channels).

When the questionnaires come back and the company is formalised then the time will finally come to be putting in funding bids. Then when the premises are confirmed we can start to work on equipment and looking at actually running the place.

- TB 20/11/05