Leeds Methodist Mission Oxford Place MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AGENDA 4 July 2011 7.30pm 7.35pm 7.40pm 7.45pm Welcome Membership and Apologies Minutes of the Previous Meeting Matters arising deferred. Conversation concerning the Lounge Café Information Statement The Purpose of Leeds Methodist Mission St George s Crypt Nurture at St George s Crypt The nature of the relationship The Financial Basis of the relationship Insurance Ownership of the lounge café and kitchen Staffing and Management Opening Hours Marketing and Target Customers Some particular Methodist issues Church Friends Safeguarding Some procedural Stuff Some email comments and appropriate responses Discussion leading to decision 9.00pm Closing Devotions 1
Statement for the Leeds Mission Management Committee concerning the development of the Lounge Café 4 July 2011 The Purpose of the Leeds Methodist Mission The Leeds (Mission) Circuit is a single-church circuit with its mission focussed on the City Centre of Leeds and upon the Universities in Leeds. Within the context of the calling and priorities of the Methodist Church, it is our purpose to be a place of Christian worship, witness and service within the centre of Leeds. Our calling is to respond, with practical expressions of the love of Christ, to the needs of all who will come onto the premises and to reach out beyond our building. Our aim is to proclaim the Gospel, in word and deed, within the context of Leeds city centre. We engage in this mission and ministry through our work through the Person-to-Person listening service, through the Oxford Place Lounge Cafe and by being present and available in the premises at Oxford Place. We engage with this mission through our work of chaplaincy at the Universities, as well as in the retail sector and law courts. We continue to reflect upon our place in the city centre and to engage with the life of the city in all its fullness, working with ecumenical partners, people of other faiths and civic authorities as opportunities arise. St George s Crypt St George s Crypt is a Christian Charity based underneath the thriving church of St George s, Leeds. It has been providing care and support for homeless, vulnerable and disadvantaged people since 1930. Don Robins first opened the doors of the Crypt to alleviate the considerable distress of many who found themselves with next to nothing as a result of the Great Depression. Don Robins, the founder of St George s Crypt, spoke these words 80 years ago (15th June 1930) as part of his first evening sermon. It is as fresh and relevant today as it was then. Here, in the heart of a great city, full of men and women needing God and seeking the answer to the mystery of life, it is for us to make this place both a beacon and a refuge to the hard-pressed wayfaring man on the road of life,. St George s must be a Church wherein may be found the life of a Christian family, not as a theory, but as a living fact. It must touch life at all points and, in all its doings, bear the hallmark of reality. It must be broad in its outlook and rich in its experience. It must take all that is good and true, all that is capable of lifting men to God, whether it be old or new, and it must offer all things thankfully to the glory of God and the succour of His children. The building up of a Church able to fulfil so great a calling must be the task of all, not of just a few devoted workers. It will call for the ideals and energy of the young, just as it will call for the wisdom and the endurance of the aged. It is going to demand sacrifices of time, of thought and of money if this Church is to take in the life of this city that place to which it is most certainly being called of God. 2
But I believe with all my heart that, under God, it can be done, though it is as great a call as has ever been made of any of us. The tasks that confront us are enormous, but the strength of those who trust God is unlimited. I pledge myself that as far as in me lies, where the battle is hottest and the work is hardest, there you will always find me. To you all I look for eager, adventurous co-operation, deep fellowship and willing sacrifice. Should I look for less, when the cause is so great and it is God who calls? Nurture at St George s Crypt Nurture at St George s Crypt is a Community Interest Company which is working in partnership with the Pret-a-Manger foundation to enable men and women who have been homeless and unemployed to find a way back into work. Some of the trainees on the Nurture project are on day release from prison. There are two aspects to the work of Nurture at St George s Crypt, one being horticulture and the other being catering. The first stage of the catering project brings men and women to work within the crypt café which services the needs of the visitors to the crypt and is the base for their outside catering business. The lounge café fits within the vision as a training kitchen and café. The lounge café will be staffed by trainees who have spent at least six months working in the project at the Crypt. This will be the first time that they will meet members of the public and paying customers. The aim of the project is that suitable trainees will go on to internships with pret-a-manger shops and onward from there into full-time employment in the food service industry. Statement of purpose for the Relationship The Leeds Methodist Mission has always had a concern for those who find life challenging. We stand within the great Methodist tradition of social holiness, reaching out from worship into service. It is clear that in our concern to proclaim the Gospel, in word and deed, within the context of Leeds city centre, we do have a common agenda, a mutual calling and shared ideal, with the mission and ministry of St George s Crypt. In envisioning the redevelopment of the Lounge Café it is acknowledged that this work is one of the named activities which is central to our expression of our mission and ministry. It is through the lounge café that men and women are brought into the premises at Oxford Place. It is through the ministry which takes place once they have come to us that we hope to demonstrate our purpose of proclaiming the Gospel in word and deed with the context of Leeds city centre. The work of the lounge café is a crucial aspect of the work of the Leeds Methodist Mission which, in conjunction with other important expressions of mission and ministry, both within and outside Oxford Place, expresses our reason for being. It is, therefore, proposed to enter into a relationship with Nurture at St George s Crypt to redevelop the work of mission and ministry within the lounge café at Oxford Place. The project will be identified within the Community Interest Company as Nurture at Oxford 3
Place. This will not be a separate company, but a device for identifying the work which will take place and a mechanism for giving account of the project. Nurture at St George s Crypt have established relationships and partnerships with a number of external professional organisations. These are supportive of the development of the work at Oxford Place and will be available for giving appropriate encouragement and advice as the work develops. Two of the particularly active partners are the Pret-a-Manger Foundation who offer practical assistance to the project and Yorkshire Bank who give significant busuiness management support to the work, The Financial Basis of the Relationship For accounting purposes, income and expenditure associated with the work in the lounge café at Oxford Place will be identified within the accounts of Nurture at St George s Crypt as Nurture at Oxford Place. All costs associated with the kitchen and lounge café will be the responsibility of Nurture at St George s crypt, this will include the cost of utilities and sundry expenses such as running costs/contracts on the dishwasher and other equipment. It is agreed that the end of year profit (or loss) will be split 50/50 between Nurture at St George s Crypt and the Leeds Methodist Mission. Insurance The Methodist Insurance Company have been consulted. Nurture at St George s Crypt is responsible for all insurance matters concerning the lounge café, kitchen and store rooms associated with the work when they are in use for the purposes of this project. Nurture at St George s Crypt is responsible for insurance cover relating to volunteers and employees whilst on the Oxford Place premises. Nurture at St George s Crypt is responsible for all public liability insurance relating to the lounge café and kitchen. The Leeds Methodist Mission management committee is responsible for ensuring sight of certificates of insurance to ascertain compliance with this direction. Leeds Methodist Mission retains liability for the premises when they are not operating as Nurture at St Georges Crypt or Nurture at Oxford Place. Ownership of the lounge café and kitchen Whilst the work which takes place within the lounge café and kitchen is the work of Nurture at St George s Crypt the premises remain under the ownership of the Leeds Methodist Mission. This is a partnership of Christian organisations who have a common agenda, a mutual calling and shared ideal of mission and ministry. It is agreed that all equipment and property of the project is available for use on those occasions when the Oxford Place Methodist Church, Leeds (Mission) Circuit have use of the lounge café and kitchen. In recent weeks members of the Leeds Methodist Mission have recognised that the lounge café has been given a significant make-over. It must be confirmed that this is a cost-neutral development, the furnishings and equipment that have been placed in the lounge café have all been donated to St George s Crypt. The managing trustees of the Leeds (Mission) Circuit and 4
Oxford Place Methodist Church have not been exposed to any financial liability. If the project does not proceed then the crypt will simply remove their property and we will be left with a painted wall! Staffing and Management The lounge café and kitchen will be staffed by a team of trainees appointed by Nurture at St George s Crypt. These trainees are volunteers who have an apprenticeship contract with Nurture at St George s Crypt. Some of the staff of Nurture st St George s Crypt are on day release from prison, working both in a voluntary capacity and as paid employees as part of the prison resettlement programme. One of the workers in the lounge café is a qualified chef and will be paid accordingly. That worker will not, however, have managerial responsibility for the work on the lounge café or any supervisory role with the trainees. The work of the lounge café and kitchen will be managed by the management team of Nurture at St George s Crypt. The Superintendent Minister, Deacon, Administrator and Circuit/Church stewards will have no management responsibility for the staff or work lounge café or kitchen. A regular meeting will take place between the staff of the Leeds Methodist Mission and the management of the Nurture project in order to maintain communications between the two groups. Opening hours In the first instance it is expected that the lounge café will be open from 10am until 3pm. If the proposed date of opening of the lounge café is realised, the lounge café will remain open during the month of August. Marketing and target customers. St George s Crypt have members of staff who are experts in their own professional fields, including Public Relations and Marketing. Nurture at St George s Crypt are working with these professional members of their team to develop the project. It is the intention of the project that they begin where we are and acknowledge the loyal customers who have been coming to the lounge café over the years. It must be acknowledged though, that this loyal customer base is not large enough to sustain the work evidence in our having to close the lounge café as our own work. Recognising the nature of the local neighbourhood, Nurture at St George s Crypt are marketing the work amongst the legal offices with which we are surrounded. Whilst retaining something of the original ethos, the project will develop a parallel ethos which will attract customers from this broader base. It is also envisioned that there will be increased work with tenants in the building, maybe offering a delivery service to the offices in the Gallery and Chambers. Catering for sessional bookings will form an integrated part of the work of the lounge café maybe actually being serviced from the facility in St George s Crypt. 5
Some particular Methodist issues The Methodist Church has a number of regulations which limit what activities may take place within Methodist Church premises. It is well that the Nurture project are aware of these. Alcohol may not be brought onto Methodist premises and may not be sold or drunk. (SO922) All forms of Gambling are prohibited, including raffles and other similar innocent appearing fund-raising activities (SO 924/925/927). Party-political activities may not be enacted on Methodist premises (SO921) although this does not preclude that wider group of activities that may be deemed political. Church Friends The members of the church are invited to participate in the work of the lounge café as friends to the staff and customers. It is envisaged that people volunteering to be friends will receive appropriate training. The vision is that they will establish friendships with the trainees and provide an aspect of stability which has often been lacking in the lives of the trainees. The secondary role of the friends will be to welcome customers, talk to them and listen to them, explaining the nature of the project where appropriate. People volunteering to undertake this role must undergo appropriate CRB checks and the various Creating Safer Space training modules. Safeguarding The Leeds (Mission) Circuit, Oxford Place Methodist Church, Nurture at St George s Crypt, Nurture at Oxford Place and all people associated with this project must comply with Safeguarding Adults: Policy for the Methodist Church (2010) and Safeguarding Children and Young People: Policy for the Methodist Church (Revised edition 2010) and all future developments of those policies. The Methodist Church takes very seriously the safety of all people who come onto Methodist premises for whatever reason. We take especially seriously all matters concerning the safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All people working within the Lounge Café and Kitchen must have a satisfactory enhanced CRB check. Members of the congregation of Oxford Place Methodist Church, working within the lounge café, must additionally have undertaken Module A of the Creating Safer Space training and any subsequent training that may be introduced for people working with children, young people and vulnerable adults. A conversation has taken place with the Connexional safeguarding officer around the issues raised in this project. A Safeguarding risk assessment is in hand and will be performed by the Safeguarding Officers of the Leeds District and the York & Hull District of the Methodist Church. The appropriate authorities from the Prison Service will undertake their own assessment of the project and premises and will give advice as to relevant practices and protocols for working with day release residents from that institution. 6
Some procedural stuff Getting the project to this position has been quite complicated. Consultations have taken place with TMCP and the District Secretary for Property Consents in order to identify any need for the use of property consents process. It has been agreed that this is not necessary. It has, however, been agreed that as the District lay employment team will be consulted on all aspects of this scheme. The contents of this statement will be written into a letter which will be signed by the Rev Dr Adrian Burdon, Superintendent Minister of the Leeds (Mission) Circuit and the Rev Steve Dye, for the trustees of Nurture at St George s Crypt. Some emails. From the Rev Dr Liz Smith, Chair of the Leeds District of the Methodist Church, 18/06/2011 Dear Adrian / Ken I had intended to send a response before tomorrow, which I understand to be the deadline for consultation with the members of the Management Committee about the proposed café development. I do not wish to sound discouraging about the idea in principle, but I am very surprised that you have gone ahead with arranging the opening of a new project as soon as 14 th July. The Management Committee was very clear at its last meeting that any new development with regard to the café should not happen before the Autumn. I think there were several reasons for this: 1. Given the previous concerns about the financial sustainability / viability of the café the Management Committee would need to be presented with something akin to a business plan, with much greater detail than the outline sketch contained in your letter about the Nurture proposal. Perhaps such a detailed plan has been seen by the Finance and Property Committee. 2. Any development of the café raises significant issues about the entire shape of ministry at Oxford Place. 3. We understood that the Management Committee, as the employing body, needed to be very clear about our standing in relation to employment law, having just made a café manager redundant. I would urge extreme caution on this front. 4. The report of the review of the Leeds Mission circuit will be available in the autumn, and we need the freedom to debate all comments and recommendations with a genuine openness to what the future direction(s) should be. 5. Oxford Place Centre usually closes for the month of August, to enable staff to have an adequate break. In relation to the proposed project, I think there are a number of questions such as: 7
How far the Nurture project is owned as part of the mission of Oxford Place, and how far it is understood as a letting arrangement to another church s mission project. If the use of the kitchen and café area is one aspect of the circuit s contribution to the partnership, what is the contribution in ministry expected to be? [It is important to remember that any changes or development in the diaconal ministry being exercised by a probationer deacon has to be scrutinised and agreed by the Diaconal Order.] Whilst the case is made as to the intended benefit for those being assisted back into work, the current proposal raises all the same questions about who the target café customers might be and how they might be attracted into the building. I note that on at least one day in the past week, the Centre was closed - presumably due to lack of personnel to staff it. I feel rather anxious about launching into a new project precipitously, only to discover that we cannot ensure that the doors are open, and that all necessary safeguards around vulnerable adults working on the project are properly in place. I also note that if the project is launched on 14 th July, you will not be present in the crucial weeks of it getting underway. Who is to take responsibility for this in your absence? I trust that all of these concerns, and any that may have been raised by others, will be shared with other members and considered very seriously before proceeding. [For your information, I am not available on 14 th July.] Liz From the Mr Michael Noble, District Development Enabler of the Leeds District of the Methodist Church, 30/06/2011 Hello Adrian Bev, Anthony and I have been reflecting since the last meeting of the Review Group on the opportunities offered by the potential link-up between Oxford Place and St George's Crypt for a new kind of cafe at OP. There are certainly some exciting possibilities which could be opened up by this sort of ecumenical partnership. There are also, as we touched on at the Review Group meeting, several issues which would need to be resolved to enable its success, and we thought it might be helpful if were to feed in our thinking at this stage rather than wait until our next meeting of the Group. We understood that you were hoping to make a start as soon as things could be properly organised, and were seeking agreement from the Management Committee at an extra 8
meeting. Thus, we offer some things which we have thought about: I'm sure they will have been answered/addressed already in your own further thinking and conversations, but just to make sure that they have been covered, please find herewith, in case they can inform debate at the Management Committee meeting. Anthony tells me that he can't be at the meeting, as it clashes with Conference (which must also apply to Liz Smith and Rob Lolley). Ideally, of course, these thoughts would have been incorporated into the Review report to inform the future overall direction of Oxford Place; it may, of course, be that the Review comes up with a conclusion which may not entirely fit with this current thinking, or may need to lead to some adaptation. This will have to be borne in mind if the Management Committee goes ahead at this stage. We would therefore ask that the points are covered at that meeting hopefully by indication that they have all been addressed satisfactorily already. For that reason I am copying this email to Ken as both a member of the Review Group and secretary of the Management Committee. Clearly, from the District's perspective in its particular and special relationship with Oxford Place, we want to ensure that mistakes are not made by rushing the start date of the venture which might lead to difficulties in the future! So... here goes: 1) How does the new cafe fit into the overall vision for Oxford Place? A recurring comment in the Review interviews has been the need to secure a clear sense of vision and strategy going forward. Whilst the opportunities presented by the new arrangements seem good how do/will they fit into any developing bigger picture? Comments were also made about the cafe not being obvious from Oxford Place and the major footfall now being at the back of the building. Would it not be better to address this before anything new opens, and thus avoid having to make changes to the location, etc later? Increased security, possibly glass doors at the rear would need to be addressed, of course. Perhaps most importantly, how does this development increase the mission of Oxford Place? Is this in effect another tenant leasing a different part of the building? (That is not to say that providing facilities for tenants is not a part of the Centre s mission but should it be the only part?) Who is responsible for the mission and ministry which will hopefully follow from the success of the venture, and how will this be developed? 2) Is all the necessary paperwork in place? A written contract/lease arrangement with St George's Crypt? (And has this been checked by the legal department and approved through the Consents Process? I'm also copying this to David Quick, so that he is aware therefore) A business plan for the cafe? Details of the percentage of profits which will be received? What if no profit is made: will Oxford Place be liable for a percentage of the loss? How much notice will be given should Oxford Place wish to reclaim the cafe space for other use? Insurance - if the new owners are bringing equipment / furnishing into the building, do they have their own insurance or is it covered by Oxford Place? If the latter have Methodist Insurance been informed? - Whose liability insurance are people working under? 9
Have all the volunteers (and paid worker(s)) been CRB checked? Have Hilary Murden (District) or Elizabeth Hall (Connexion) been consulted to check if any additional safeguarding measures should be put in place given the potential background of some of the volunteers? Do (will) all soft furnishings meet the necessary fire regulations? (Fire retardant fabric/filling etc) And who is responsible for their maintenance/replacement, etc. 3) The timing of the opening People interviewed as part of the Review indicated the need to reflect following the cafe closure and see where, if at all, it might fit in a renewed vision for Oxford Place. Clearly, there has not been time for this to happen. The timetable is for the Report to be available to the Management Committee on 3 October, and to District Policy Committee on 14 November. Oxford Place is usually closed during August for maintenance so would not waiting for a launch in September be better than opening then closing? If the intention is to stay open in August this year is it a good start for any new clients that the local minister will not be in the country at the time? Who is overseeing such an important stage of a new project? 4) The impression given by such a rapid re-opening to the former manager. We assume that the legality of this has now been checked by Peter Gambles. For example, if the launch of the new facility is delayed so that it is at least three months after her contract was terminated, any claim from her would become progressively more tenuous since OP could argue more convincingly that the new facility is totally separate from the old one. Even if it is legal,we have a feeling that it is not morally right in relation to what may have been said to the former manager, and are concerned about the witness this is to the previous manager and her family and friends. As Bev said at the last Review Group meeting, we do have a residual concern that several significant decisions seem to be being made during the Review process, which doesn't seem to be a sensible way to proceed. Hopefully it doesn't indicate that the Review isn't being taken seriously by Oxford Place, or that it's simply being seen as a hoop to jump through. Hope this all helps! Every blessing Michael Michael Noble District Development Enabler, Leeds and West Yorkshire Districts The Methodist Church Mobile: 07932 041239 Home: 01943 602349 Email: ddelwy@btinternet.com The Methodist Church, West Yorkshire District Registered Charity no. 1133134 10
The Methodist Church, Leeds District Registered Charity no. 1139797 The Methodist Church Registered Charity no. 1132208 11