Minutes of Committee meeting
Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team
Tuesday 6th January 2015, 7.30pm at Lowfold MRT base
Present
* Mark Bains (Chair), Roger Pickup (Treasurer, DTL), Nick Wright (Training, DTL),
Graham Lobb (Equipment), Jo Dyson, Andy Caple (Secretary DTL), Una Gordon, Sarah Anderson,
Robert Collyer (Comms, DTL), Alec McCarthy.
Apologies
* Nick Owen (TL)
In attendance
* Johnny Graham
Congratulations were expressed to Johnny on being given an MBE in the New Year’s honours list.
Minutes of last meeting (December 2014)
* Passed. Proposed: Robert. Seconded: Jo.
Matters arising
* Liz and Andy will meet in the near future to exchange secretarial documentation.
Particularly about AGM. ACTION: Andy and Liz
Correspondence
* None
Team membership 2015
* Honorary membership list has been approved by the committee.
Team members business
* Recruitment (Una). Following receipt of an email enquiry discussed by email since the last
meeting, it was clarified that all applicants to join the Team should go
through the normal application process for hill going team members. We have no current plans to recruit team members in a non-operational capacity.
* ID cards (Andy). Sarah has taken on the responsibility of ID cards and will be starting to produce new ID cards for all full team members in the near future. (Starting with Jo please Sarah) ACTION: Sarah
Chair
* The investment policy has been sent to Charles Milner.
* Mark has been in touch with Dave Barrington and Olly Benson to explain how the recent policy statement regarding reactive rather than proactive fundraising affects current street collecting, merchandise sales and collecting boxes.
* The Committee reiterated its view that the policy does not detract from the importance of keeping our profile high. The days that Dave organises, especially outside Gaynors, are very important to team profile; other public collections are already organised in reaction to requests.
* The Committee also agreed that there are many very good reasons for having boxes including: local people wanting to help and therefore feeling some ownership and pride in the team; the
boxes are one of only two regular income streams that we have and it is crucial that the boxes and the whole collection structure is in place and maintained as a safeguard against larger donations drying up; and they give local businesses an easy way to show their support without requiring us to negotiate the more complex sponsorship proposals that we occasionally receive.
* Local procurement policy. This had been suggested at the last meeting, but on reflection it was felt that the Team’s size didn’t warrant one. It was agreed that a sentence in the minutes expressing the Committee’s commitment to using local suppliers when possible and without compromising the principle of getting best value would suffice.
Secretary
* It was agreed to co-opt Neil Bowness onto the committee until the AGM.
Proposed: Robert. Seconded: Jo. ACTION: Andy to inform Neil. ROBERT: to include Neil on the committee email stream.
* Nothing further to report on the vehicle manager role.
This position is vacant, any team member that feels they can help in this most important of roles should mention this to Andy or Robert. There is a good support network of people in place to reduce the work load of this job to a very manageable level.
Treasurer
* £100,000 transferred to Charles Milner to be invested in line with the team’s financial plan. This was money from a bond that had matured.
* It was noted that Roger had paid for the SARDA Christmas meal with a team cheque for reasons of expediency, and reimbursed the team the next day.
* New round of the boot allowance to start from January 2015. Maximum £220 allowance for a single purchase, receipt to be submitted to Roge any time within the next 3 years.
* House will be revalued in 2016. ACTION: Andy to organise in January 2016.
* Charles Milner sends a statement every 6 months re our share investments – Mark to write into draft terms of reference for the investment Committee.
Team Leader
* Board will be changed to include Johnny’s MBE. ACTION: Nick O
Personnel Issues
* None
Equipment
A proposal had been made that the team should look at the possibility of siting some additional AEDs at fell access points within its area, which could be got speedily to casualty sites by members of the public while team members were still en route. It was noted that issues of public liability and numerous practical questions would need to be resolved first. ACTION: Sarah to discuss informally with the Stickle Barn to assess feasibility.
Alec to look into the practical aspects of maintenance and servicing.
Positions suggested so far included at the head of the Langdale valley, within Little Langdale, the Kirkstone Inn, somewhere on the outskirts of Grasmere, Orrest Head / School Knott, and on the outside of Lowfold (this could be used for training as well as used in anger as it could be a combined training /operational unit). It was noted that first responder AEDs were already located in some of these areas
These locations have not been discussed in any detail, and thoughts and suggestions would be very welcome from all team members for discussion at the February meeting.
Communications
* Robert wishes to personally thank Steve for his help and support in the handing over of this role.
* Comms officer is a complex job and Robert will take this step by step. First thing to sort is the IT system within the base.
* Order placed with BT for the first batch of equipment this month. Purchase order needs to be raised for £5755
* Robert has the full committee support if he as comms officer has to gain urgent access to Claife without observing the official procedure of booking ahead.
Vehicles
* Checks taking place on all 4 vehicles next week. Robert will be asking team members to assist in the movement of vehicles. ACTION: Robert
Training
* Adam Cole has asked if he could restart his training as his situation has now changed/reverted to the norm. This was agreed, and welcomed, by the committee.
* More people are choosing not to do the cas care certificate. Full team members should be encouraged to obtain their cas care certificate as soon as possible in their first year in the team. This will be discussed in more depth at a future meeting.
* Thanks to Les and Neil for all the time that was given to Cas care training
Base issues
* None
Any other business
* Thanks to Graham for organising a superb Christmas do!
Meeting closed at: 2200
Date of next meeting: Tuesday 6th February 2015