BF - Meeting Minutes - 14th March

8/7/2019 BF - Meeting Minutes - 14th March

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Bridgend Inspiring Growth

Meeting Minutes 14 03 2011

Apologies: Anna Danby, Simon Beames, Lyndsey Mclellan, Helen

Ewing, John Palmer, Roz Pollock, Sophie Unwin, Nigel Green,

Matina Bakratsa

Present: Jade Littlewood, Will Golding, John Knox, Caz Barron,

Chris Cook

Minutes of last meeting and any matters arising

All agreed and everything confirmed as accurate

Building and Design

Jade presented the beginnings of some drawings of the

interior based on research done on other community groupsand similar spaces.

Still awaiting feedback from the Glasshouse Design about a

possible design workshop with the local community

We need to be aware that new technological fixes are not

necessarily as energy effective and sustainable as a good

renovation, and that we need to take wider in terms of themost sustainable use of the building for the community who

will use it.

Need to consider how best to utilize the surrounding land,environment and location in the design, and strengthening

insulation and ground source heating rather than adding

particular new features

Clearer idea still needed of use, function and users thoughbefore further design can go forward.

Chris suggested looking into Hemp plaster.

Possibility of sliding doors between rooms brought up

Best to think simply and clearly about these elements

Further dimensions of the inside are needed for further

internal drawings

Emphasise needs to be on developing ways to allow for

community involvement throughout in the renovation

process.

Chris mentioned the importance of healthy living and localfood growing knowledge to the educational aspects of what

use could enable.

The importance of 'early intervention' was discussed,

emphasizing the importance of accommodating areas for

children. The need to work closely with local schools andnurseries on this.

Need to find out how much money could be reduced by

energy efficient design (as already provided by the Energy

Saving Trust)

Action Points

Jade to complete once she has

more detailed dimensions of thebuilding

Will to follow up

This to be further discussed andpart of the aim of the funding bid

Someone to look up

Will to ask for and to forward on

John to look into


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Business Plan

John presented the business plan he has put together since thelast meeting. It was agreed as a very clear and coherent and

well structured document.

Minor amendments and photos and map additions are

needed.

More work, research and consideration needed on the

finances in both income and expenditure capital, but SocialReturn On Investment too.

Need to identify more clearly commercial, social and

charitable rental rates. Something that is affordable is bothwhat we aim to provide, but will also provide some certainty

of rental, but definition of being affordable.

John has provided a maximum and minimum amount ofcapital needed for the yearly building maintenance depending

on how much it is run by Bridgend Inspiring Growth. Thisallows us to what would be the most appropriate and feasiblebetween the two.

Anna's summary of notes of support she had received from

various organisations was presented. There were a few very

useful letters and comments sent in outlining specific use,numbers of people involved, cost and benefit. We would like

more of these if possible.

Prepare this to then print out a variety of to send to funders,investors and contractors. Possibility of getting this bound

and covered too.

Chris mentioned the need to emphasise the importance ofhealth and its development as crucial to the project and what

it could help provide services for.

A crisp and visual presentation to accompany the text based

one is needed. More photos of the various events we have

been part of needed.

Chris and Jade mentioned how using only 3 images or lessper slide and having lots of them as a narrative would be

more effective.

Jade and Caz have almost completed a new letterhead

template design. This could be added to images for thebusiness plan.

Chris introduced the model of Community Land Partnershipas a possibility here from his work at the Nordic Enterprise

Trust.

This is a new thinking in terms of non-toxic investment,

To forward on to others to amend

in next week if necessary.

Will to send current maps to Jade

to edit and send back.

Caz to work on photos to includein the report

John to speak to Ron further about

this, Will to speak to Forth Sector.

Send this on to John for the

business plan

To finalise for next meeting

Jade and Caz to work on

Will to send these on to Caz

Jade to send this on once

completed.Dropbox Sharespace to be opened

by someone.

Chris to possibly come to give amore detailed talk on this at some

point.


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based primarily on partnership work and rental offers where all

investors, contractors, stakeholders become members inside the

agreement. There is very little debt or interest but there are

dividends. Returns can be given through revenue dividends orthrough showing money saved.

There are very little paid staff and employees on this model

With this in mind there may be different investors and landpartnership needed for different phases of the development.

Finances and Accounts

John presented confirmed bank information and agreed to

send on bank statement once it eventually came.

After this we can confirm the details to send back and willreceive 1500 for group training from Forward Scotland.

Partnership Work

Will mentioned Bridgend Allotment Community Health

Inclusion Projectand the need to support them in whateverways possible as close partners and as an amazing project.

The group agreed to look to ways to support BGC throughour own projects and other ones as much as possible and to

try to maintain strong ties with them for a symbiotic

relationship.

Mention was made of the original Cooper Cromar feasibility

study carried out by Bridgend Allotment Community Health

Inclusion Projectand why that was inappropriate and whatwe have learnt from that and how we have developed from

that.

Funding

Caz provided some feedback on her visit to The Gathering

and the workshops she attended on funding. She has written

up what she found out which is available for anyone if theywish.

She emphasised the importance of assessing and analysingstatistical reports in finding out and demonstrating the needs

and reasons for the design and development.

Caz also mentioned the Funding Fair on April 28th at

Westburn Primary school and recommended someone attend

on our behalf. Will presented a first draft for Investing in Ideas lottery

grant. The contact was agreed however there were somediscussions over what we would be best to apply for money

for.

It was suggested that quite a bit of community engagementand consultation has already taken place and we are

beginning to know what sorts of use for the building would

We also may need to invite

stakeholders and key partners

together to gather mandates of

interest and discuss thepossibilities of this economic

John to send to Will once received

and Will to send to Forward

Scotland

Will to attend BACHIP/BGC

general meeting soon

Will to send on to Jade

Jade to send on to anyone

interested.

Will to go back and adapt some of

the figures and content of what we

are asking for


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be, but we need assistance and development in working out

Who will use, when, what exactly for, and how that will

sustain itself.

It was agreed we need to develop a strong and sustainable

business place, identifying the social and financial

opportunities with the funding.

It was also felt that there is a pool of dedicated volunteersand that rather than passing too much over to consultants we

should find ways of using the money to support and develop

the current volunteer work and possibilities further.

The objectives of the funding would then be to; identify the

core purpose, show what this would enable, how it would

sustain itself, and encourage active volunteer involvement todevelop into that.

Chris emphasised the importance of having it as multi-

purpose and creating use in the evenings as well, such as

international meal events.

We also discussed how we need to look further into SocialReturn on Investment and how we can identify that andinclude that in our business plan.

Jade suggested we need to start narrowing down the ideas

and clarify more concisely what the specific use and function

will be.

Will also presented a list of funding possibilities he has put

together for different aspects, and introduced smaller grants

for community engagement projects around the farmhouse aspart of the development process.

Caz also mentioned the Make a Splash! Application she has

been looking into for an art project to create a evolvingmonument for members to contribute to and help create.

She will be attending a conference about this to look into it

further and also start speaking with other groups thinkingabout what might be possible and most appropriate.

Caz had recently met with Mark Carr from Craigmillar

Community Arts to discuss collaboration on this. He is

currently very busy but has a sculpture he is willing to donateif we can somewhere we can place it and a way to transport

it.

We discussed the need to quickly start fund raising to pay for

the Environ Report and begin cash flow to strengthen thepossibility of the campaign. Brief discussion was made of the

fundraising ceilidh, now moved to the end of April orbeginning of May. More to be discussed next time.

The need to look into adding a donation button and

possibility on our website and through a mailing list, and thepossibility of a 'justgiveit' or of a pledgebank.

Will to see if anyone can help us

with this

Will to send on and others to add

to if they can fill out an

application or know any other

relevant ones

Will and Caz to find out if there is

anywhere we could possibly put a

sculpture or create a public

community artwork near thefarmhouse

Start to contact musicians,

performers, organisations for

raffle prizes etc

Anna looking into website

possibilities


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Steering Group:

A reminder to update Will on the amount of volunteer hours

put in each week.

We mentioned the need to encourage more people to getinvolved again.

Training in governance and structure to be run for all

interested to help us decide on best legal status. Date to bearranged at next meeting, for one evening in April.

Will mentioned the possibility of forming ourselves as a

Development Trust. Chris suggested we are already one justnot by name. We will discuss further next time if we want to

take on this name and apply to be a member.

Outreach and Events:

John recently attended Parks meeting

BIG were represented recently at the Volunteer Fair inGilmerton organised by the Volunteer Centre

There have been various meetings over the past 3 weeks withprofessors at Napier University, Forth Sectorand Assist

Social Capital

Community Lunch in South Edinburgh is being held on

Wednesday 23rd March at Gilmerton Community Centre at

1.30pm

Craigmillar Castle Park springclean on April 201th. BIG to be

present if possible.

Bio-diversity week is around the 21st May. Mention ofwhether we want to prepare anything for this.

Committee members asked to think about if they would like

to arrange a site-visit to another project at any point

AOCB:

Jade has produced a letter to send to skip hire companiesabout possible donation of the hire of a skip for a short

period for clearing rubble fro the building.

Margaret Collingwood and the Greater Liberton Heritage

Projecthave begun researching information on the history of

the farmhouse and Bridgend

Report and analysis of questionnaire carried out regarding

possible practical crafts drop-in to be printed out for nextmeeting.

Next meeting: Monday 4th April 6.30pm at Inch Community

Centre

Everyone to email back or bring along to next meeting

Anyone interested to let Will

know.

Will to present info onDevelopment Trust at next

meeting and discuss together

Jade to send on once completed or

to show at next meeting

Will to speak further with them

about the developments of this

Will to present at next meeting

Documents

BF - Meeting Minutes - 14th March