Minutes from board meeting – 11th August 2021

GREENSLATE COMMUNITY FARM Ltd

BOARD MEETING MINUTES

These minutes have been redacted for reasons of confidentiality

Date of meeting: Zoom meeting – Wednesday 11th August 2021, 6pm

Present: Fiona Eccleston; Nicky Bailey; Pam Moore; Neil Hickson; Chris Roberts; Angela Blackshaw; Katy Sneyd (for first hour)

Apologies:  Mark Tebbutt;

Chair: Neil Hickson

Minutes: Pam Moore

Declarations of interest: None

Agenda ItemMinute        
Minutes of last MeetingIt wasn’t on the recording who proposed & seconded acceptance of the last meeting minutes.Action: Minutes of 14/07/2021 to be proposed as a true record and accepted.
Matters Arising Not covered by agendaNone
ActionsInclude actions summary on minutes and agendas.Action: CompletePower to change – report back on the possible use of funding.FE to include this in the business plan currently being developed.Action: Moved to the business plan – closedCo-op funding – report back on the possible use of funding.Action: Carry OverForward figures/report re grower to NH.Action: CompleteRedaction of minutes to be done by NH, forward to board for approval, to aid prompt circulation to staff/publication to websiteMinutes are sent out as drafts. Once they have been approved at the following meeting they can be redacted and loaded to the website.  All produced so far have been approved and so can be redacted and added.
Action: NHConsider Grower Viability with PM and NH.
Report sent out.
Action: CompleteConsider funding for path construction and signage for woodland
Possibility of getting funding from landfill offsetting. KS suggested contacting Tracey Wormald from WMBC to help with possible funding to match requirements.FE will include this in the business plan currently being developed.
Action: Moved to the business plan – closed
Liaise with Wigan MBC re-access plan (Woodland) Action: Moved to the business plan – closedProvide a link to the volunteer hubAction: CompleteRe-open communication with café/shop staff, feedback to board if needed.Meetings have been held with café/shop staff.
Action: CompleteWhen governance is reviewed, ensure the policy is in place re info handling  Action: Carry OverEmail KS to release Greenslate info.
Action: complete
Email P2C to confirm board is happy with the diagnostic report.
FE in contact and will liaise.Action: Complete
Financial Report No questions were raised on the financial report circulated.
Care FarmCharlotte McCartney has started as Care Farm co-ordinator. She has sent round a marketing strategy which contains lots of good ideas which will be reviewed as part of the business plan. FE meeting her on Friday to talk through ideas. One idea is branded t-shirts. KS suggested, “The Hamlet” who can do branding and are an organisation based in Wigan who works with young adults with additional needs.
Café & ShopCafé currently running at a loss but some of this might have been due to the café being overstaffed. Adjustment of staff hours has addressed the issue short term. Long term, the café needs to grow its income. There have been 5 or 6 applicants for the café manager’s job and FE is hopeful to have a new manager in place soon to take control and consider all elements of running the café and shop.
GrowingThe viability report written by NB and RJ has been shared with CP. It’s clear from the report that additional income is required from external clients. Currently, there doesn’t seem to be enough focus on commercial success, which is essential to making the grower’s position sustainable.  
BuildingsFE has been in contact with Clare who runs health & safety consultancy ‘Keystone Compliance’ in Wigan. She had been really helpful and will go to the farm to meet RJ & CM to see how things are run. She doesn’t cover building regulations, but has contacts who do if we need something in that area.
DigitalIT strategy should be included in the business plan to cover, amongst other things, where documents are stored and how access to them is controlled.  The business plan will inform the security access structure to data.  FE & NH to develop this over time.FE has access rights to manage the members on TEAMS. Access needs to be reviewed and amended where necessary, e.g. remove access from previous board members.
Action: FE and NH  Café staff said recently they didn’t have access to post on Greenslate Facebook page. Action: NH to check that Josh et al have access to Greenslate Facebook & Instagram.
WAWYIt was acknowledged that WAWY have been a great success story for Greenslate Farm and it should be promoted as part of what Greenslate Farm is about.FE to find agreement made with WAWY and circulate.
Action: FE
Farm/AnimalsOne pig has required veterinary attention. There is money set aside for improving fencing but there is a backlog on timber which is causing a supply issue.
AOBBoard Reports – it was agreed to only send out a report if there is something to say.
ActionWhoRaised
Co-op funding – report back on possible use of fundingMT14/07/2021
Redaction of minutes to be approved by the board then loaded to websiteNH14/07/2021
When governance reviewed, ensure policy is in place re info handlingAB14/07/2021
Approve minutes of 14/07/2021 board meetingAll11/08/2021
Hold a meeting with RJ & CP re expectations of grower’s role going forwards.NH/PM11/08/2021
Review access to TEAMSFE/NH11/08/2021
Ensure Café staff have access to Facebook & InstagramNH11/08/2021
Locate & circulate WAWY agreementFE11/08/2021
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