OxVeg Planning Meeting 9 October 2008, 7pm-9.30pm

Place: Panel Room, Oxford Town Hall

Note taker: Heather Shepherd

Agenda:

1. Welcome
2. Secretary's report
3. Treasurer’s report
4. Election of Committee members
5. Proposals for resolution- that Oxford Vegetarians be renamed “OxVeg – Oxfordshire’s Vegetarian and Vegan Societyâ€
6. Brief discussion on ideas for future OxVeg activities
7. AOB
8. Next meeting

Attendees: Paul Appleby (PA), Heather Shepherd (HS), Pam Hopcraft (PH), David Huish (DH), Eileen Bourton (EB), Rachel Foster (RF), Paul Freestone (PF), Marilyn Burt, Mary Puffett.

Apologies: Sue Tibbles (ST).

1.� ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½  Welcome

·        PA welcomed members to the meeting, remarking that it was many years since we had held a meeting in Oxford Town Hall, although there was a time when we held cookery demonstrations and public meetings in the Assembly Room.

2.     Secretary’s report

• PA presented the secretary’s Annual Report updated to cover the 18 months from 1/4/2007 to 30/9/2008.�  Disappointingly, this period saw a 25% fall in membership (from 181 to 135), and PA expressed the hope that this decline could be halted and reversed by the new committee.

3.     Treasurer’s report

·         PA presented the Accounts for the 18 months from 1/4/2007 to 30/9/2008 that had been prepared by ST (absent ill).�  These showed a deficit of income over expenditure of £430-13 over the period, resulting in a current balance of £512-71.

·         DH queried the amounts shown under the different headings, for example, income of £537.50 from Events but only £10 from Sales.�  It was suggested that the events income referred to sales on stalls at events, and the sales referred to direct sales made (ST to confirm).

·         HS suggested moving our account to the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) due to a better interest rate, and accessibility (monies can be paid into the account at any branch of HSBC).�  Signatories to the account should also be reviewed.

4.     Election of Committee members

·        The following persons were elected unopposed to the committee posts:

o       Secretary – HS (nominated by PA, seconded by PH)

o       Assistant Secretary – PA (nominated HS, seconded PH)

o       Treasurer – ST (no election required as ST had indicated her willingness to remain in the post)

o       Assistant Treasurer - DH (nominated EB, seconded HS)

o       Media Representative – PF (nominated HS, seconded DH)

o       Campaigns Co-ordinator – RF (nominated HS, seconded PF)

o       Stalls Co-ordinator – PH (nominated HS, seconded RF)

o       Membership secretary – EB (nominated PA, seconded DH)

·        HS offered to act as the group’s website manager and this was agreed.

·        In the absence of nominations for a Social Secretary social events will be organised on an ad hoc basis by committee members (and ordinary members of the group subject to approval by the committee).

5.     Proposals for resolution

5.1 That Oxford Vegetarians be renamed “OxVeg – Oxfordshire’s Vegetarian and Vegan Society†(proposed by HS).

• After discussion it was agreed that the group will be renamed “OxVeg – Oxfordshire Vegetarians and Vegansâ€.

6.     Brief discussion on ideas for future OxVeg activities

• Future events organised or proposed:
• • 16^th October - Food and Climate Change day – free food stall in Cornmarket Street, 11am-2pm (RF / Oxford Animal Protection)
  • 27^th October to 1^st November – Display to promote World Vegan Day at Oxford Central Library (PA to set up)
  • 1^st November – World Vegan Day – Possible lift share/coach trip to East Midlands Vegan Festival, Wolverhampton
  • 15^th November – OxVeg stall at One World Fair, Oxford Town Hall (PH to organise rota of helpers)
  • 30^th November – Animal Aid’s Christmas Without Cruelty Fayre
  • 13^th December – Oxford Green Fair (stall to be booked – ST; PH to organise rota of helpers)
  • 20^th December – Candlelit Vigil to remember animals (Oxford Animal Protection)
  • Vegetarian/vegan Christmas free food stall at Templar Square shopping centre, with publicity by PF (Redwood Foods to supply samples?).�  Possible theme: the lower cost of a veg*n Christmas.

7.     AOB

• Oxford Animal Protection will be organising a Supermarket Sweep on 15^th November. Contact RF for further details.

8.     Next meeting

• Committee to meet monthly at Oxford Town Hall on a Tuesday or Thursday evening (free to local voluntary groups), 7.30-8.30pm. HS to try to book a room in November.