RESOURCES GROUP NOTE OF 10.12.14 MEETING

•	Some points from previous meetings have been retained for info and/or future possible action
•	One or two points subsequent to the meeting may be included
•	See also notes of previous meeting for more on some of the points below

Present:  Dave, Tim, Mies, Paul, Judy, Rosie, Alasdair [new], Ian.   Apols:  Martyn, Katherine
Many thanks to Judy & Mies for the mince pies & mulled wine!

Next Resources Group meeting :   Weds 14 Jan at St Martins, 232 Dalry Road, 7pm (I'm there from 6.45).  

Resources Group Xmas meal :  Thurs 8 Jan, provisionally at Indian just south of Kalpna (suggested by Paul) otherwise at Kalpna.  Judy will enquire & book.  We will email again once fixed, but save the date anyway if you wish to come.

A .  STALLS - Anyone who can help at any of these stalls please contact Martyn or the person shown.

 •	Dec 13  Farmers Market.   Martyn to enquire about stalls for 2015. No stall in January.

Stall notes...
 •	Next year – try for stall at Canal Festival as is a massive event, and avoid clash with Farmers Mkt
 •	Circular email to all stall volunteers on m'ship database had got several additional volunteers.  This is worth doing again if we are ever short of stall volunteers for particular events.

Materials...
 •	Need reprint of our tenements brochure.  Martyn to get quote for 1000.  Main use is at stalls but we may also drop one in to members in tenement areas.
 •	The brochure is in need of some updating but that would probably be costly as the layout was done professionally - and perhaps time consuming.  Instead Dave will produce and print an insert with update information, once we definitely go ahead with the brochure print run.

B. SPOKES OFFICE

 •	St Martins [Bob Allen, the Centre organiser]  would like us to decorate the room if possible.   We can pay for materials, but need an expert [Judy has noted one member says they are a decorator], a group of volunteers, someone to organise them, plus one or two weekends.   In addition to painting, some plasterwork will be needed, and ceiling is very high. 
 •	Several volunteers – John Wilkinson, Martyn, Bob Allen, Tim.   Goff may also help with advice. Judy will try to have onsite discussion with Bob and Goff.  Tim already started work on removing wall fixings!  Bob apparently has equipment including for reaching the ceiling.
 •	Cubby-hole room [old toilet].  This can now be used by Spokes.   We agreed the toilet can be removed and the space used for storage.   Not suitable for map storage however, as too small and too difficult to deal with deliveries and other organisation/ admin.

C.  SPOKES MAPS

 •	New Glasgow edition delayed to Spring 2015 instead of late 2014.  Likely to be on tearproof paper, but at increased cost.  Electronic version already downloadable for smartphones.
 •	Midlothian new edition going to printer soon.
 •	New Edinburgh edition similar, hope for Spring 2015.  Tight timeline as no work yet started and will be on new base map (XYZ).  Probably we pass them the cycling info to add to the base.  Funding options – see D below.

D. COUNCIL SCSP MONEY [Smarter Choices Smarter Places]

 1.	All Scottish Councils have been offered government SCSP money if they match it 50/50.  It is for promotional schemes such as adverts, maps, signs, personal travel planning, etc.  The conditions rule out cycling or walking infrastructure [though some bus infra is allowed!! e.g. bus shelters]. See December 10 news story at spokes.org.uk. Edinburgh has been offered £½m and they [Reggie Tricker] have approached us to ask if interested in ways of using some of it in conjunction.   Our main problem would be capacity/ time/ person(s) to be involved in any projects.   Ideas discussed...
 2.	Edinburgh Spokes map.  Option of seeking subsidy for map, to sell on the tearproof paper at lower price.  And / Or to get a limited free supply (1000, 2000?) paid entirely by the council on ordinary paper.  Problem being whether council would demand any control over content other than just a council advert/ acknowledgement of support.  Several people felt a separate free map compes with ours, but could be an option if distributed in a restricted way e.g. via employers.   Secondly, Council is anyway considering maps as part of their own SCSP use, so we need to minimise competition there.   Ian will meet Reggie to discuss options.
 3.	Lothians maps.  Lothians councils will also get offer of SCSP cash, but some may not use it because need to match 50/50.  Tim to consider if could be used as subsidy to Lothians maps. Same comments as for Edinburgh re having Council advert/acknowledgement but not handing over any control of map content.  [Post-meeting thought:  Tim – I think that the council could quote the money which we spend on the map as their 50/50 match funding, in which case it could effectively halve our costs on Midlothian map, and others in future, at no cost to the Council – definitely worth asking Midlothian cycle officer]. 
 4.	Bike Buddies   Could council set up a scheme to accompany novice cyclists and we put our volunteers (from membership forms) in touch with the council – we do nothing else.
 5.	Friends of Innocent Path  or similar groups.  Could council try to set these up and we would notify all members in the area in case any wished to get involved.
 6.	Dave to email Reggie re bullets 4,5;  Ian re 2;  Tim follow up 3 when appropriate per map.

E.  MOTORIST AWARENESS CAMPAIGN – DRIVERS' CYCLE AWARENESS VIDEO

 •	Bryce has set up a Spokes site on  YouTube and loaded the video onto it – also the one he took of PoP this year and the earlier one of St Andrews House budget demo.   The link is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMXOa8J6lSRh7aYiZ1vN4Wg.  It is easy for us to log in and edit the wording on the site.
 •	Martyn has drawn up a draft A4 sheet to accompany the video.  Mies to produce final draft of the text based on comments from herself, Dave and Judy.
 •	We will also produce a professional-looking promotional flyer [probably A4 folded to A5] explaining the purpose of the video & notes, and giving the link to them [they will be on Spokes website].  This will be (at least initially) our main means of getting the video around. Tim will do this on paid basis, working mainly with Mies/Martyn on content, and a draft to all Resources Group.   Fyfe & Bryce money paying for printing and his time.  Hopefully the flyer will go in spokes Feb mailout to all orgs and members [approx 3000].  We will also (then or later) send it to other relevant orgs on the list drawn up last year – e.g. all driving schools + keep some for stalls, etc.  So total order 4000/5000.   No need to make CDs as the web link will be given on flyer.
 •	Publicity on Spokes website and in press will await all the above materials being available – hopefully no later than Feb mailout but could be earlier if ready.
 •	We discovered the website  https://www.driving-instructor.tv/  thanks to this article...  http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2014/nov/11/the-film-teaching-driving-instructors-to-understand-cyclists.   Could try to get links to our materials on that site.
 •	Would also be good to find an opportunity to try out the video with a group of learners and get feedback – missed this year's Edinburgh and West Lothian 6th form pre-driver sessions.

F.  SPRING [& SUMMER?] PUBLIC MEETING[S]

 •	Spring meeting to be on Future of Edinburgh City Centre because critical council decisions coming up, with the one-year George St experiment ending in September.
 •	Ideal week March 23-26, but if necessary could be 16-19.  Mies to check Augustine United and book provisionally.
 •	Speakers – important to get Cllr Lesley Hinds – Dave to email to put the idea.  Other possible speakers we can then invite subsequently once we know premises and LH availability.   Some [not all] of...
 ◦	Essential Edinburgh [business community] – vital to have this input
 ◦	Someone visionary [concentrating mainly on cycling aspects].  Possibly Prof Tom Rye [Spokes member, head of Napier TRL].  Mies to get second opinion.  Other suggestions?  John Lauder?  Another suitable academic?  Vital to have someone giving visionary cycling input.  
 ◦	George Street report – the official in charge [or Lesley Hinds could cover this]
 ◦	City Centre east-west route – the consultants doing this design
 ◦	Chair for the meeting – one of us or outside person?

 •	Possible summer public mtg on bike/rail with new ScotRail Franchise holders Abellio. Franchise would be just starting, and Borders Rail opening in Sept (6th).  Could also have speaker from Campaign for Borders Rail.
 •	Meeting would be good for Lothians members as well as Edinburgh.
 •	Could be part of Ed Festival of Cycling.   Dave email Kim with the idea and ask for dates to avoid.

G. AGM/ CONSTITUTION

 •	Paul had suggested we should have a general 'business' meeting/ AGM – to confirm treasurer appointment and possibly adopt a revised constitution.  Decided to be on day of Spring public meeting either 6-6.30 or (more likely) 6.30-7.00, with coffee etc either during or after.
 •	Constitution had been discussed within Resources Group in 2011 and a draft revised constitution drawn up.  Only newly suggested change at meeting was that treasurer and auditor to be agreed at Resources Group then ratified at the AGM, like for the group conveners.
 •	We had decided not to go for charitable status, as the time involved outweighs the benefit.  Possibility of limited company, so as to remove possibility of organisers being sued – but again this would have some admin complications and would also require 'Directors.'  Paul to prepare list of pros and cons.
 •	We may also have a pub evening or other semi-social event at some point.  Euan's lunchtime mtg at Engine Shed had worked well earlier this year.

[continued]

H. ONLINE JOINING AND RENEWAL

 •	This needs attention.  May be difficult to marry with/ develop from existing systems, but is now a strong need.  Possible software includes GroupSpaces (used by Transform, CRAG and some other Edinburgh membership organisations, but support only via online forum, not a support team, and future uncertain) or the fully supported Wild Apricot (but costs $100 pm for 500-2000 members) and CiviCRM (more complex) or similar.
 •	There may be expert members willing to volunteer (as with current and previous membership databases, volunteers were staff of Ed Uni computing service) but ideally if so they need to expect to be permanently resident locally for some years.   Mies/Dave had been in touch with Ewan Klein from Informatics Dept and Mies would follow up.
 •	If commercial we again need to be as sure as possible of a guaranteed future.  Paul highlighted need for security given that membership donations need to be possible through the system.  Dave to ask in next email for any interested members with relevant skills who might have comments/ideas/ offers (possibly commercial).
 •	Possibility [at least as an interim stage] of keeping existing database system but offering renewal responses via email to membership@spokes.org.uk.  Could be done in various ways.   e.g. send out paper renewal forms as usual but offer renewal by email, especially if no changes to the household details – this might be possible for the late-Feb 2015 annual renewal this year.  Alternatively could possibly email the renewal form itself, instead of on paper, but that would need more setting up.  In either case, we'd need a volunteer to handle the emails.  [Possibly one of those who currently does input?]

I. SUPERMARKETS POSSIBLE PROJECT

 •	This idea from last year has possible new urgency/opportunity.  Dave & Peter have been lobbying local Lidl re removal of bike racks – excellent new bike shelter just installed.  Also there has been local social media interest in supermarket bike parking; and Planning Group is preparing a list of supermarkets with no parking, mainly 'metro'-style, with pavement frontage.   Article in  spokesworker.. http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/spwkr14.11.12.pdf
 •	Project could involve .. (1) survey of some/all supermarkets in Edinburgh (Lothians?) and a report, which would include recommendations for supermarkets of various types – e.g. for metro-style with only pavement frontage could have wall bars or rings, and/or pavement Sheffield racks.
 •	… then .. (2) approaching supermarkets area management to arrange meetings and hope persuade one or two to do an area-wide bike parking upgrade, ideally as a well-publicised exemplary project.
 •	Would be an innovative project for which we could almost certainly get grant assistance if that would help – e.g. the above  SCSP cash, or from Sestran or Cycling Scotland.
 •	Katherine interested in taking this on.  Will discuss further at next mtg.

J. OTHER TOPICS FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS [not discussed]  See previous minutes for details

 •	Tim had taken 75 of B118 to Paul at Botanics for their public display.  Anyone who happens to be at the Botanics have a look at what is on display and if plenty Bulletins are still there.  [150 copies of new Bulletin 120 were sent in mailout.  Anyone who is at Botanics, please check if on display].
 •	Favourite Rides booklet.  Provisionally will run this comp again in 2015 to produce a new booklet.
 •	Local Policing Plan Greg sent in our submission in November and we were subsequently invited by the police to a meeting at Pleasance station to discuss it – Greg and Mies were hoping to attend, but no date was feasible in December.  
 •	Possible research projects [details in 6.11.13 notes] – census ideas; valuation of cyclist time;  identification of traffic offences