Sadly, due to the ongoing situation with COVID-19 Area Business Meeting has been cancelled for April 2020. A message from the Clerks is below.

A message from the Clerks about Area Meeting:

“We think it is right at this time to cancel April Area Meeting in its normal form. We will keep you posted about any arrangements after that.

As far as we are aware, there are no significantly time-sensitive decisions to be made.  The major agenda items were to have been reflecting on the life of our area Meeting, particularly in relation to the meetings which feel they are struggling to sustain themselves, and a first look together at some Friends’ developing concern around Quaker witness to truth and integrity in public and personal life.

In 2017, when we reduced the number of area business meetings held per year, we set up a mechanism for a group of people who could be called on if we need to transact business between sessions.  This comprises an AM clerk, a clerk or other representative of Nominations Committee, and one person each from Elders and Overseers Support Group, Clerks’ Advisory Group, and Trustees’ Finance Committee.  If it were a face-to-face meeting it would be open to any other Friend who wanted to attend, so meeting electronically we would seek to make this possible in as much as the technology allows.

Please continue to send notifications of membership matters or any other business to the office as normal.

Your AM clerks and clerk to Trustees are all available for consultation should there be anything to do with the life and work of your meeting or committee or the area meeting as a whole – our contact details are in the book of members.

Trustees are working on advice about things to do with employment and premises in the current circumstances.

We send love and upholding to all Friends and meetings, even though we won’t be meeting face-to-face for the time being.”

Alison Ironside, Stella Roberts, Helen Rowlands

Area Meeting Co-clerks