Behind The Scenes Working Group - Thursday 20th March 2008

Working group and other such Forest meeting minutes
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Gaz
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Behind The Scenes Working Group - Thursday 20th March 2008

Post by Gaz » Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:10 pm

Behind The Scenes Working Group
Thursday 20th March 2008
8.30pm

Present
Gareth, Milk, Martin M, Chombee, Jess, Carlos, Olivier, Xabina, Nix, Neil

Apologies

Shannon, Ras

Agenda
The Shop
Special Forest Booze Idea
Grants Applications
Grants Admin
Accounts Update
Beta Website
Money and EVS money

The Shop
Nix says shop will open some time early-mid April.
OOTB are having an artist market on 29th so that would be a good chance to promote the shop.
Also a big Friday or Saturday launch would be good.
We have decided at 20% for artists.
Not For Profit Organisations for free.
Need to cover the running costs of the shop.
Nix says to be more charity minded.
Running costs = electricity, publicity (hand made here), fittings (should be free) some small costs e.g. Perspex for windows. Artist has made logo for windows. A ledger. Cash box/till (might be covered). Keys, locks. Overall costs should be minimal...
KEYS - Ryan, Nix and EVS volunteers have one – That's enough.
Do church people have key...
AP Nix to get key off EIKON Dave
Doesn't need to be one in the kitchen. Must be as secure as possible.
Shop is being painted...bizarre colours....which is hand cos...
Title is “Forest Bazaar”
How will it work?
Cataloguing of the stock - Carlos will do.
Ledger needs to be set up. Will be a simple system.
Will be a responsible person each month to run the shop.
AP – Nix will be the first responsible person. EVS people will help him....
Contacting the shop – shop@theforest.do-be-do...
AP – Fix the email – Milk will fix it to go to Mr Nix.
Will need a web page on the website. Milk will help.

Special Forest Booze Idea
On 28th March Ras Babi Presents “Seekers”
At St Paul's Church Hall.
Monthly events is Forest's longest standing event.
Ras wants to try something new and spread the word.
Nix proposes to shift some of the Forest booze.
Some is soon to be out of date (eg 30th April)
Nix wants to sell the booze at Ras's event to shift the booze and to support Ras's event.
We say okay. Nix will sell the booze to cover Ras's costs and any extra will come back to the Forest.
Let's support Ras!

Grants Applications

Monthly Grants
Joanna Bayley – Kenya Charity Work - NO
Charmaine Gilbert – Film Maker – Gets the £100. Can it have the Forest Logo on it and be a Forest Film
Amy Duncan – Loop Station - NO
Natalie – Food Not Bombs ACTION WG covered this... - NO
Sula Zelda – Printing Artworks – She is super keen volunteer. We want to support. We can use the Forest Shop budget. Let's talk to her.... - NO to grant but maybe the shop budget can cover something. AP – NIX to speak to her.

Quarterly Grants
Nhamburo Ziyenge and Shane Morgan – Mbira Workshops
Sounds good.
Bongos sound bad.
We say yes!
What happens to the Mbira? Forest doesn't need them. We will break them.
Why not give them to the guy after the workshops have finished?
Can we use some of the Action budget to cover some workshop transportation cost?

Also FREAK event has been written to and offered the building for maybe July. Awaiting answer.

AP - Gaz will let the people know....

Grants Admin
We are talking about receiving and dealing with the grants applications each month.
Not a huge workload but doing EVS as well means sharing some of the work would be good.
Gaz has been doing it for a year and a half. System seems to be working well now. So now would be a good time to let someone else have a go....Chombee steps up to the plate and will deal with any new applications that are received from now on. Thanks Chombee!
AP – Milk will switch the email forwarder for grants@theforest-la-di-da

Shop Merchandise
There is a budget to make cool stuff!
Wow! This is fun!
Let's make T-shirts, postcards, badges – Nix will start.
Get on board!

Accounts Update
Not doing so well money wise....
Are we spending too much?
Are we not selling enough?
Is money going AWOL?
Neil will try to find out....
If there is a problem it is probably at night.
Nms needs to be more aware.
AP - C&E WG Please address this...
Callum has been working on the accounts.
Let's get him on the team!
Daniel – Does he want to continue with the Tax/Wages?
AP – Daniel - Please indicate...
PAYE is a bastard - Maybe we can write a program to do it?

Beta Website
Milk has made it.
Test site set up.
We likey!
Milk to work on basic site theme, layout and accessibility.
Web team will help create themes/multiple themes.
Milk is in contact with them. He has the situation in hand.
Once that is done, content, shop, features, themes etc are done site will go public. 2 or 3 months!

EVS money
Situation was explained.
EVS money is on its way. Edinburgh is expensive.
The total grant is potentially £60,000!!!
the more you think, the more you stink

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Shannon
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Post by Shannon » Fri Mar 21, 2008 2:40 pm

Regarding booze: I have already arranged to sell the Forest beer at the Climate Camp gathering in Glasgow. Ran it by kitchen crew and Ryan, as I didn't think it was really a working group issue, and certainly not behind the scenes. Think I mentioned it to Gareth and Martin too...

Grants: Charmaine was just in to find out about the grant. She is very excited.

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ravanwin
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Post by ravanwin » Sat Mar 22, 2008 9:00 pm

mrimba? never heard of it. sounds ok.

as for non-profits getting free space in the shop - i think i disagree. without being part of the conversation, i don't see how we plan to make money if we don't take a commission (%20 seems low too!) and if we let people have stock there without expecting pay us commission for sales. i think since %20 is low we just say a base rate of %20 or even %15 but we need to make something on every sale - no?

r

graeme
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Post by graeme » Sat Mar 22, 2008 10:00 pm

The Joker we had at the EVS vollie welcome party wasn't very nice, it was flat and had sediment at the bottom.
May be worth checking that the Forest beer is still ok.

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milk
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Post by milk » Sun Mar 23, 2008 3:40 am

e-mail changes made
hey, if you don't like it, post on the BB (so you can ask about participating for better) | MilkMiruku

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