Synopsis of the Management Council meeting held on Friday 3 December 2004 at the Lantern Hotel

All the members of the Management Council attended the meeting on Friday 3 December 2004 at the Lantern Hotel starting at 3.00 pm. This different venue was because Council members were meeting on Saturday 4 December with Regional Chairmen and staff members of Central Office to discuss the Strategic Options Plan. Sir Bryan Askew chaired the meeting and Graham Ball (Chief Executive) and Meriel Davies (Minutes Secretary) were in attendance.

The meeting commenced with one minute’s silence observed in memory of Celia Dunsmuir (previous National Chairman and long-term member of Council).

The first main item on the agenda was a discussion on the proposed new Area Representatives. These representatives will represent two or three regions and be a full member of the Board of Trustees from next September. There was considerable discussion regarding the role of Area Representatives and all the Council felt that it would be an extremely onerous job, and quite difficult to accomplish bearing in mind the amount of travel that may be involved. There was also discussion as to whether, when standing for election to be an Area Representative, you should also be allowed to stand as a General Member of Council. Due to the number of issues raised a small Sub-Committee of Mr Mike Egan, Mr Aidan Linton-Smith and Mr Graham Ball was formed to consider these issues in detail and make proposals for Council at its next meeting.

The next item was on our campaigning priorities for 2005. Traditionally we have campaigned on a cross section of issues but it was felt that we should concentrate our campaigning activities on the priorities that members have. A suggested list of priorities was circulated and Council was asked to add to it. Following discussions of the list it was felt that our three main priorities would be the management of chronic conditions, raising awareness of polio amongst health care professionals and continuing the good work on mobility issues. A plan to achieve these and other campaign issues will be produced for Council.
The next topic was on special subjects to be discussed at future Council meetings. It was felt that in addition to the normal agenda that Council should also discuss and debate in depth one particular issue at each meeting and a timetable for the meetings was discussed. The major issues Council would like to consider include finances, fundraising, administration costs, welfare and governance and these will accordingly be timetabled in.

The Lantern was the next topic to be considered and the Chief Executive brought Council up to date with the closing down procedure as the Lantern was officially closed on 27 November 2004. The marketing of the Lantern is to go ahead and the advertising brochure circulated shows that offers in excess of £1,000,000 are asked for. The Chief Executive was able to report that three charity groups are wanting to bid for the property and there is still a hope that it will be sold as a going concern for the benefit of disabled people. Various reports were then considered by Council including the Finance report by the Treasurer with the monthly return showing a loss of £40,000 for October and the annual deficit likely to be in the region of £200,000. The Treasurer also reported that a meeting to interview three possible new auditors is to be held on 16 December. The Chief Executive then expanded on his circulated report and was able to tell Council that the raffle has now raised over £12,000 and that a pilot project will be undertaken in Fundraising to look at the viability of a lottery. He also reported that the Fellowship is now incorporated as a company and that an application has been made to the Charity Commission to start a new charity called the British Polio Fellowship which is a technical matter following incorporation and will not make any difference to members. The Welfare report was then considered including a piece on wheelchairs that the National Welfare Officer had circulated. The final report was Fundraising and the Fundraising Manager was pleased to report that all targets for the year have been met and that an appeal has gone out to our non-member donors to raise funds for the heating appeal and that an appeal to help fund the Bulletin will go out in the January edition of the Bulletin.

Under Any Other Business a group of members in Staffordshire wanted formal approval to become an official group and after discussion this was approved and the new Staffordshire Group was formally welcomed into the British Polio Fellowship.

Council members then adjourned but remained at the Lantern for the meeting the next day.

Graham Ball
Chief Executive