Will make this a wiki so people can add agenda points:
agenda
-review of action points from last meeting
-discussion of moving to doing deliveries every other day
-follow on proposal for how we might reduce the recepient list
-proposal of merging backroom 1&2 roles (how close are we?)
-discussion of Warehouse cafe’s re-opening plans and timeline
-Paul’s proposal for PAYF cafe on Mondays (Leo wants to hear more )
-quick point about Fareshare orders
Just so people know in advance I had a chat with @Paul and @Seb today.
We discussed the plans for moving to deliveries every other day. To summarise:
-they agree there has been a drop in participants/capacity and think this is true for kitchen as well
-don’t think they can continue having people in kitchen every single day due to capacity but also Warehouse partial re-opening plans
-would prefer to move to cooking 4 days a week
-in order to deliver two portions with every delivery would need to drop orders to 85 meaning they could make 150 within each cooking shift
Paul: Capacity of 150 meals per day. Need agreement for 85 to serve per day with two meals. Proposed rota explained. First Saturday would be Sat 11th. Extra work on kitchen so ensure we have at least 4 volunteers every day not 3. Suggested days MOnday, Wednesday, Thurdsday and Saturday. If these were the same 85 people the dietary requirements wouldn’t change so could reduce to evening only backroom staff.
Paul: Could call 15 people each and have a check in. Would be lovely for me to have interaction with people getting the meals and update them. Also makes more open to contributions and an opportunity to check in and make detailed list of dietary requirements and if they want bread or desserts.
Paul: 3rd July (Friday) the cafe opens, next w/end Fri and Sat, and may be more in future. So this measure for the SK is stopgap, need to transform SK.
Alice: Why 85 meals when 4 days?
Paul: Those work well for the kitchen so we have Friday free for the cafe.
Amelia: Numbers don’t quite add up.
Paul: Changes made.
Amelia: Need someone as backroom 2 to plan meals. Main task for BR1 which is now a small role, now mostly all it is is removing people who only want meals. Checking on next days volunteers is now role of BR0 but no reason it can’t be BR1 and 2.
Leo: How to reduce from 120 to 85?
Paul: Hostel might be opportunity to reduce 10. Check in with them now. Keen for people from hostel to volunteer their time if they want for reciprocity. Number more like 106 right now.
Amelia: Numbers are going down so some attrition anyway. Some drivers don’t want meals. Might be worth asking if they want the meals to send numbers down more. Hostel good area to look at without having to have individual conversations.
Leo: Benefit is that because we are so close and friends we can have easier conversations.
Paul: Could continue rota as is this week, and could move to 4 day week next week. Have phone conversations.
Leo: Are you looking for a decision in a short time?
Paul: Kitchen staff ready to start this in a week. Need agreement.
Amelia: also want chance to get in touch with participants. From BR0 perspective good so we don’t have to deliver Sunday so could we implement a day early?
Kaeden: Was agreed last week to propose and vote now.
Leo: Anyone to speak against it?
None so decision made unanimously to implement Paul’s proposal.
Leo: Could you seperate this spreadsheet from cafe stuff?
Paul: WIll put this on minutes or send to you.
Alice: Clarify start date?
Paul: Proposal is to start on Sat 27th with approval from chefs.
Agreed.
- proposal of merging backroom 1&2 roles (how close are we?)
Amelia: It is absolutely possible to do them both, and with decrease in participants it’s a necessary move. Have drafted a protocol, but important to talk to BR1 and 2 and if they have concerns about taking on both roles.
Amelia: Have also drafted communications for merging BR1 and 2 roles and also the every other day thing. Would like someone to edit who is more comms ready.
Leon: Can’t access 2nd document. Looks good in terms of intelligibility. Not best to comment.
Leo: Anyone against?
Unanimously passed.
Leo: Would be good to get out in next newsletter.
Leon: I’ll do BR0 tomorrow and want to know process for getting the comm out. Am happy to edit.
Leo: These can go out ASAP.
-discussion of Warehouse cafe’s re-opening plans and timeline
Paul: Friday 3rd July cafe will reopen for fish and chips. Following weekends Fri and Sat. If very successful may expand that. Do anticipate that in August we will be moving to opening more, possibly eating and supper clubs and transitioning back to the cafe over the next couple of months.
Leo: Isn’t Saturday one day the SK is operating?
Paul: On the rota, the shift starts early in the morning.
Paul: Transitioning into a 1 day a week SK cafe which would be seperate entity to the Warehouse cafe. Large space to cook and eat togather and deliver meals. During the day the cafe will be open PAYF for teas, coffees and cakes and have 2 paid staff initially. Income could transition partipants to being paid.
Leo: Have you had the chance to speak to these other orgs?
Paul: Was in meeting with BCS - there are participants there also working with cooking, also relationships with TRJFP and allotments, those links already there. In London I have been involved with waste food kitchens and can see easily how it could happen. Could be a way to continue it in different form.
Leo: Will come back to that next time.
Paul: Didn’t agree in terms of making contact with the meal recievers this week?
Amelia: Hard time contacting people - if we can’t get in touch can they stay on the list
Leo: Could get into a group for making this happen. Happy to help.
Alice: Happy to help.
Paul: Happy to make phonecalls.
Leo: Do we need to also call all BR people?
Amelia: Need to be in touch with BR1 and 2 and people who have regular shifts on days we’re not operating so we can move them. We have BR1 doing this all week anyway. Could we not do as BR1 anyway?
Kaeden: Would rather it was someone more involved who shares the project’s politics.
Leo: Will get something together with Alice. Expect invites for that in the next few days
- quick point about Fareshare orders
Paul: Spoke to Dylan. Have been recieving free, but some charges coming up. Also would we need to reduce the order quantity? Can play that by ear.
- Decentralised local food coop model - Leo
Leo: Been talking to Shiri from Coop Kentish Town and have been inspired by their model, which during the pandemic has been similar to us on about the same scale in one area. Also been speaking to Foodhall in Sheffield who are doing things similar to us. Seems lots of people have ended up in same boat as us.
Leo: Could link into Paul’s cafe meal thing but form food coops with maximum of 30 households ideally 20. Doorknock your road. Multiple options for getting food, and everyone puts in about £3 or an hour’s work a week. Sounds like something Coop Brum could facilitate. Keen to try around where I live, some people already interested. Good way of being more local. Could try in one or two areas and use as models. No concrete proposal yet.
-CoopCycle update - Leo
Leo: Going well, lots of people working on it, coop already registered, getting bank account, ready to operate into July. Might make a proposal that once they have a bank account we give them like £500 to get started
Sean: Wonder if one day this week we can do a double thing where we use Coop Cylce and Routific at the same time. Could work with BR2 to do that. One driver and someone who’s doing BR2 to do a test run day for the technology side of Coop Cycle.
Amelia: I could do this on Saturday when I do BR2.
Sean: Propose Saturday. Better earlier if possible as cafe moving to fish n chips.
Ben: I could do Thursday.
- Podcast
Sean: On podcast for Coop WM which I’m on the board of. Did a 15 minute thing about Coop Brum. Will be out in a week or two. Also someone from TAWS and Central England Coop so good to have our voice.
-Black Panther survival programs - Leo
Leo: Were testing people for Sickle Cell Anemia before the state. SImilar to stuff we’re doing so a bit of inspiration.
- Meetup
Sean: Would be good to do socially distanced meet in the park again even if everyone’s not always there.
Leo: Do you want to name a time and place on the forum and who shows up shows up.
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