REPORT OF QCA COMMITTEE MEETING ON OCTOBER 12TH 2013
A warm welcome was extended to Joan How, QCA’s new Membership Secretary. Joan’s contact details appear in the newsletter and she will thus be the main point of contact for members and enquirers.
Thanks were extended to Acting Clerk Viktoria Nealis for her ongoing concerns for the care of the animals and birds in Clissold Park, Stoke Newington. Via Vickie, QCA commissioned advice from bird expert Greg Glendell, and most of his recommendations have been implemented, thanks to the sympathetic response of park staff and the monitoring of Vickie and her friends.
We thanked Malcolm Winch from Blackheath Meeting who held a QCA stall during BYM in May 2013.
We discussed the payment of donations to groups overseas. QCA seeks to send money in the most cost-effective way and the cost of currency conversion can be very high. We decided to apply for interbank transfer to make it easier and more cost effective to donate to concerns abroad.
Marian Hussenbux has collated and dispatched to Friends’ House Archive records of QCA activity dating up to 2013.
Edna Mathieson, responsible for Outreach and Liaison, attended a quarterly meeting of the Association of Lawyers for Animal Welfare (ALAW) and the Quakers & Business conference last November. Edna will attend meetings as available and write reports. Edna’s article Quaker Food Choice was accepted by QCA Committee and by Elizabeth Redfern, Clerk of Q&B, for presentation to her Committee.
Vickie, Edna, and an Anglican friend Rita Donovan attended the initial meeting at Friends’ House on 30th June with 3 members of the Sai Organisation, to discuss bringing animal welfare into the Organisation. 70% of devotees are vegetarian, although most are not fully aware of the cruelty to animals involved in so many everyday shopping choices. This is a work in progress.
The knitting project – dogs’ coats and blankets for the Dogs’ Trust and other charities – is now well established, with more knitters recruited.
REPORT OF COMMITTEE MEETING ON FEBRUARY 8 2014
Jane Stanley, our new treasurer, was warmly welcomed.
It was agreed that funds of £1,200 were available at this time for donations. Details of those causes chosen are listed on the website under Groups Supported.
The process for making donations to charities which do not have a UK bank account is now in place. These will now be made by electronic bank transfer for which there will be a charge for each transaction.
Arrangements for the AGM were finalised.
It was agreed to purchase a further supply of purple poppy cards, produced by our member Ann Johnson with the children of Warrington Meeting.
Fergus O’Connor reported on the first meeting of the Interfaith Alliance for Animals. A further meeting is due to be held later in February at which it is planned to begin forming a structure, including the opening of a bank account.
Vickie Nealis updated the committee on the condition of the birds in Clissold Park.
Marian Hussenbux told the committee that she would like to hand over responsibility for looking after the website and it was agreed that the committee would search for someone to take on this role.
Our member in Totnes Meeting, Heidi Stephenson, has kindly agreed to guest edit the Autumn Newsletter.