The Area Meeting Office remains closed until further notice, but the Area Meeting Secretary is now working from home in a limited capacity.
Emails to the office at ceqam@quaker.org.uk will be answered via webmail. This is a basic service and does not act as well as our main server.
Telephone calls are being received by the secretary. There is an answer phone on this line so please leave messages
Please do not send anything by post.
Finally, the secretary kindly requests that you avoid calling between 19.25 and 20.45 as he is watching Last of the Summer Wine. 😛
Local Meetings can still email the Area Meeting co clerks directly with AM business matters. They are Alison Ironside, Stella Roberts and Helen Rowlands. Their contact details are in the membership directory.
Local Meeting Treasurers can continue to contact the AM treasurers directly with financial queries.
Read on for a full statement from trustees:
Closure of Central England Quaker Area Meeting Office
After consultation with the clerks of the trustee service committees, Area Meeting co clerks and clerk to Priory Room Directors, the Area Meeting office, 40 Bull Street will be closed from today the 2nd April 2020 until the government decide that offices can open again.
Central England Area Quaker Meeting is a charity and the trustees are responsible for its governance and compliance. All businesses and charities that are not providing essential services are asked to close and to require their staff to either work from home or take furlough leave under their job retention scheme. We do need to follow these guidelines to help minimise the spread of the coronavirus in the city and support the work of the NHS by reducing the pressure on their services.
Employment and health and safety issues are delegated to trustees by the Area Meeting and we have a duty of care to our employees. We are all asked to stay at and make only essential trips; to work from home and for those in the ‘vulnerable’ category to self-isolate. Therefore, we do not want the Area Meeting Secretary attending the office to carry out his duties. CEQ has joined the Job Retention Scheme and this option is available to any staff unable to work in their normal workplace and receive full pay during April and May.
The premises 40 Bull Street are closed and Andrew will attend the Priory Rooms once a week to inspect the premises (also Peace Hub/Peacemakers). PR Directors would prefer that this is the only access to the premises during this crisis.
We have also taken into account Britain Yearly Meeting’s decision two weeks ago to shut down Friends House in London and consider that as they can continue their support to Area and Local Meetings whilst they work from home trustees hope that Central England Quakers will be able to do the same.