Structure Group Report 2013-07-31

STRUCTURE GROUP REPORT July 2013 [1]

This is a summary of discussions since our last report of 30th June, covering messages 12217 to 12303 .

The topics we have discussed or are still live/pending this month are below:

Trading Subsidiary Task Team

The Team has produced the final report, which is recommending that Freegle changes from being an unincorporated association to become a charitable Industrial and Provident Society (IPS) for Community Benefit. Questions are ongoing at the moment about the implications of this, but so far the recommendation has been very positively received by the group. The Team is recommending that as far as possible all present ways of working remain the same with the report laying out the steps that are needed to adopt the proposals. The Team and advisers will now start work on a business plan and a review of all policies and procedures to help a transition if this change is implemented. The group will be polling on whether to accept the Team’s recommendation, it will then be sent to Central for wider discussion and eventually be subject to national poll. Some points raised so far include:

• timescale of setting up an IPS
• role of Central
• Board of Directors: working methods, how many people to be appointed
• current Reps involvement/transition
• borrowing clause explanation
• membership fees and eligibility for membership

Please do join our group if you wish to see the recommendations proposed at this stage and have any questions or points to make.

Task 102 - Equalities Monitoring

We continued briefly to discuss whether it is practical and/or desirable to consider equalities monitoring of group members.

Task 73 - Freegle Mailbox Guidelines

A poll was held to see whether the group wished to recommend to Reps that the drafted guidelines should be adopted. Only 13 people voted, but the result was unanimously in agreement with the proposal. The recommendation was sent to Reps, who agreed it and they have now posted it on Central for a 7 days consultation/adoption. Task 95 - Specialist Group Affiliation

Following an earlier poll and agreement by GAT, the proposed addition to http://wiki.ilovefreegle.org/Group_Affiliation_Team_Procedures has been proposed to Central for discussion and poll.

Task 104 - Complaints Procedure Review and Task 103 - Mediation for Members

These hasn’t been progressed due to both Ombudsman’s term of office ending and an election being held. Once the roles are filled again, we will resume discussions on these two tasks.

Task List

Our Task List is here : http://freegle.it/StructureTasks , with the current and pending tasks listed on the first page (completed tasks can be accessed via the page tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet). If you wish to take part in the discussions on any of the tasks, please do join in!

Group ‘Personnel’

The owners of this group are Jacky (Great Yarmouth) and Wendy (Woodley). Jacky is coordinator and stand-in secretary at present. Group membership stands at 77 (one extra member joined in past month).

Back to Structure Group Report 2013-06-30, forwards to Structure Group Report 2013-08-31