OxVeg Committee Meeting 15 January 2009

Place: Barristers Room, Oxford Town Hall

Agenda:

1. Update from last meeting:
2. Catering Equipment
3. Books to sell at stalls
4. Next Events
5. Next Meeting

Attendees: Paul Appleby (PA), Heather Shepherd (HS), Rachel Foster (RF) (late arrival), Pam Hopcraft (PH), David Huish (DH)

Apologies: Sue Tibbles (ST), Eileen Burton (EB), Paul Freestone (PF)

1.     Update from last meeting:

·               HS reported Veg1 supply purchased; membership rates amended on literature; 15 people attended Christmas meal and good time had by all; Cowley Road Christmas Market (CRCM) went well, but items priced too cheaply (separate report to be emailed to committee); website and new email addresses set up (test emails to be sent to confirm forwarding addresses correct); IVU membership has been renewed for a further year.

·               PA reported Green Fair takings of £125 (£25 stall hire, approx £40 net profit). Stall shared with kitchen buddy turned out to be confusing to public; One World Fair takings of £110; three OV Newsletters sent. He reiterated difficulties of sharing up-to-date membership database with EB. HS to look into website functionality to maintain email address database.

·               EB emailed to advise 68 renewal notices sent out, with 21 renewed so far (£156 + £5 donation)

·               DH is trying to contact ST to arrange a handover meeting of treasurer responsibilities

·               RF organised free food stall in Oxford with Animal Aid (photos to be sent to HS for website); supermarket sweep worked well with leafleting outside Tesco with their permission; candlelit vigil went well, with Green Garden Café catering for the event; still looking into badges.

·               PH had nothing to report as PA had helped coordinate stalls during ill-health.

2.     Catering Equipment

HS confirmed we have an electric kettle and two portable gas stoves (purchased in December). She also trialled a flask for handwashing at CRCM, but this was not practical, and handwash gel will be used in future.

3.     Books to sell at stalls

HS requested that we sell cheaper recipe books at stalls, as the wallcharts sell well possibly due to price. HS will purchase the following with her discount from the Vegan Society – 2 x Cake Scoffer, 2x Salad Scoffer, 1 x Easy Vegan Cooking (Leah Leheman).

4.     Next Events

• Valentines Day (14^th Feb) – free food on Cornmarket Street, Oxford, 11am-3pm. RF to find Animal Aid leaflet ‘Love animals, don’t eat them’, HS to help make heart-shaped chocolates. RF to organise, DH & HS to volunteer on day.
• Shrove Tuesday (24^th Feb) – advertise veggie pledge for lent by possibly cooking pancakes on Cornmarket Street, Oxford. RF to investigate whether gas stoves allowed. If not, it was decided pancakes would be too difficult to cook elsewhere to transport, so free food stall instead.
• 28^th Feb – cookery demonstration to help those signed up on Shrove Tuesday to go veggie for lent. HS to investigate Oxford Action Resource Centre in Cowley as possible venue, or liaise with RS over Wesleyan Memorial Hall contacts.
• Easter Saturday (12 Apr) – Raw Chocolate workshop. HS to look at venues (as above). HS will also speak with Jane from Oxford Active Vegans who has run similar in past.
• Possible supermarket sweep to link with lambing season (March time). Details to be discussed at next meeting.
• Witney Green Fair – PH to look into. PA advises takings usually slim as event smaller than Town Hall Green Fair ion Oxford.
• Levellers Day (May) – PA will give contact details for Bette Jones to PH so she can contact her for stall information.

5.     Next meeting

HS will try to arrange for 19^th February and confirm by email.