Dao Lu Board Meeting

Date	28th April 2019
Time	11:00
Location	Lloyd Park Community Room
Chairing	Janet Allman
Minutes	Colin Bootle

Present

Aileen Hamdan	chair, instructor	AH
Ewa Nevisandah	treasurer	EN
Colin Bootle	vice-chair	CB
Sankofa Small	director	SS
Wendy Saville	volunteer	WS
Marilyn Moseley	volunteer	MM
Daniela Garlashelli	volunteer
Jin Jie	volunteer
Janet Allman	volunteer	JA
Patricia Cutler	volunteer	PC
Joe McPhoy	instructor	JM
Veronica Lewis	guest	VL
Ann Faal	student
Catherine Furlong	student
Karen	student
Delia Heather	student
Rose Floyd	student
Flavia Columba	student

Apologies received

Nadia Rogmati

Minutes of previous meeting

The minutes of the previous meeting, held on 19th January 2019, were agreed.

Matters arising from minutes

No matters arising from the previous minutes that were not on the agenda for this meeting.

Finance – sustainability

All students have paid £25 monthly fees.

AH explained two forms of instructor payment – delivered to homes etc (contract work £30 – £60 paid immediately to instructors, as we are paid straight away), and regular community classes. Community class fees account for about a third of Dao Lu income. Instructors have been paid about £20/hour for regular classes, not guaranteed, with money left over at the end of the financial year. With the new payment system, we hope to improve rates and regularity of payments to community class instructors.

WS – initial feedback positive. AH – website and marketing materials need to make clear concessions available. WS suggested make until 1st of next month free, so longer free time, rather than a single free session and then pay drop-in rate. No vote taken.

Finance – accounts

Accounts were presented for all to read.

Governance – director

CB has informed Companies House of the director changes.

Governance – DBS/insurance

WS no longer requires a DBS, as is currently not volunteering to work with children and/or vulnerable adults.

There are no outstanding DBS requests.

Projects and new groups

VL – reported on GP house, Triangle House, Leytonstone. Usually 12 people, mostly mature patients of GP. Trying to shift focus onto wellbeing. GP is making available business cards to patients (on reception table). Patients are encouraged to join the Dao Lu fee structure.

Dao Lu classes are advertised on rolling TV in the waiting/reception area, where patient names appear. The model is to get GPs proactive to encourage patients to join, for wellbeing (also encouraging Parkrun). Improves quality of life. Have a lot of patients that fall – helps reduce this.

SS reported that Handsworth House don’t promote it the Dao Lu classes and forget it’s on. There is a poster there. Aileen to speak to them, introduce ideas from Triangle House.

Borough of Culture – AH explained the background since July 2018 when bid the was won. We got One Hoe St free, 1.5 hours fortnightly. About 10 people attend (mostly from Dao Lu).

Waltham Forest is starting to have meetings about legacy, after the year of culture. Lack of facilities is raised, joint usage, reduced rates for facilities to make affordable to local community groups.

Muslim women’s groups – PC may have access, to speak to AH.

JM – schools, hard to get in. AM reported on previous demonstration sessions at Walthamstow School for Girls (“Green School”) etc. VL – anxiety around exams etc (medicine alternative, life skills) so around GCSEs is a good entry point. Market tai chi for channelling energy.

AH explained community and contract classes.

HHH – could move to Lloyd Park, room available, but rates are much higher than HHH, though we do have a block arrangement for Lloyd Park facilities. Discussion re. sustainability of HHH has raised awareness and numbers are better. Very cost effective, £10 (room in winter, outdoors in summer). Discussion that Lloyd Park was convenient for some students, but countered that HHH is more convenient for other students, and spreads our range over the borough.

SS – raised issue of Qi Gong, we need to integrate it more into our class. Should we be learning a Qi Gong form? AW sometimes includes it. AH includes simplified form. AH pointed out that we should have training and qualification from Master Yip, to ensure we teach consistently.

Action Point – all encouraged to mention Dao Lu to GPs.

Media and Communication

Our telephone number is now operational.

AOB

Commerce – T-shirts etc. Hoodies, branded. Should be on website to wear uniform.

AH to ask St Barnabas re. secure storage, so some students can leave weapons at class.

Request for the website to have an annual calendar.

SS mentioned diabetes awareness, especially amongst Caribbean women, who are not well represented in tai chi groups.

Mention that dementia training is recommended.

There will be a yoga session on Saturday, 22nd June, 430 – 6.30pm. Details to be posted on the website.

Next meeting

The next meeting will be held on Saturday, 27th July 2019, at 1 – 3pm at One Hoe Street. AH has booked the room.

Chair of next meeting: Sankofa Small

Minutes to be taken by: Colin Bootle

End of meeting

The meeting closed at 15:45

Action points

All encouraged to mention Dao Lu to GPs.

AH to ask St Barnabas re. secure storage, so some students can leave weapons at class.

CB to add an annual calendar to the website.

CB to post yoga session details on the website.

AH to work with Nadia Rogmati to enable her to become a lead instructor.

AH to organise instructor training.

AH to ask instructors whether they would like to take up Qi Gong training.

Dao Lu Board Meeting

Date	19th January 2019
Time	13:45
Location	Leyton Yoga Centre
Chairing	Wendy Saville
Minutes	Colin Bootle

Present

Aileen Hamden	chair	AH
Marilyn Moseley	treasurer	MM
Colin Bootle	vice-chair	CB
Wendy Saville	volunteer	WS
Daniela Garlashelli	volunteer
Jin Jie	volunteer
Ewa Nevisandah	volunteer
Janet Allman	volunteer

Apologies received

Itricia Byer

Syeda Ahmed

Sankofa Small

Minutes of previous meeting

The minutes of the previous meeting, held on 16th September 2018, were agreed.

Matters arising from minutes

No matters arising from the previous minutes that were not on the agenda for this meeting.

Finance – sustainability

A meeting with STJC students was held on 21st October 2018, which proposed and agreed amongst attendees:

• Fees charged three times a year
• £70 per third year
• £2 extra for weapons/fan-form
• ALF remains at £25/year
• No family or multiple class discounts were agreed at the meeting

The board discussed this further and amended the proposal to:

• The fee to be £25 per month
• The fee covers unlimited sessions per month, so students can be encouraged to attend multiple classes, and switch easily when unable to attend their usual class
• Drop-in class rate to be £7
• Volunteers requested to encourage and help cash payers to move to cashless regular payments
• Family discount: £20 per month for additional members of same family
• Annual Licence Fee (ALF) to remain at £25
• For those who take no sessions in August, the £25 monthly fee covers their ALF
• The new fees structure to start on 1st April 2019
• Payable on 1st of each month
• Paid by standing order or cheque
• Confidential arrangements continue for those unable to afford these rates

Action point: AH to circulate this new fee structure and ask students for comments. We will then give students a two month notice period (February and March) for implementation from 1st April 2019.

Finance – accounts

Accounts are ready for submission to the accountants once some instructor invoices have been completed for the financial year.

The expected balance after those invoices have been paid is expected to be close to zero. This is normal and expected, as we do not need to make a profit, and have sufficient reserves in case of a small loss.

Governance – directors

Sankofa Small has come forward with a request to become a director. She has been an active Dao Lu student for approx. 5 years and has skills that will be of great benefit to Dao Lu CIC and the board.

Her request was granted with gratitude by the board, with immediate effect.

Ewa Nevisandah has volunteered to become the Dao Lu Treasurer, and a director.

Marilyn Moseley has decided to resign as Treasurer and as a director, as of 31st March 2019.

To maintain the Dao Lu quorate of at least three directors, with a single treasurer, Ewa Nevisandah will become Treasurer and a director on 1st April 2019.

Action Point: CB to inform Companies House of the director changes.

The board expressed immense gratitude to Marilyn Moseley for her contributions as Treasurer and as a director, including the introduction and switch to Quick Books, and for on-boarding Ewa Nevisandah in this role.

The board is also grateful to hear that Marilyn Moseley intends to keep a supervisory role.

Governance – DBS/insurance

WS no longer requires a DBS, as is currently not volunteering to work with children and/or vulnerable adults.

Gudrun Fritz will no longer be working as an instructor for Dao Lu CIC. Therefore Dao Lu CIC no longer requires that she have a DBS check or insurance, neither of which she is willing to obtain.

All current DBS requests have now been completed.

Projects and new groups

Triangle House NHS centre, near Leytonstone Fire Station  – a new class started on 17th January. AH is the lead instructor.

A new class will be starting in Coronation Gardens, Leyton, after Easter half-term. AH is the lead instructor.

A new twice-monthly carer group has started, with Itricia Byer as the lead instructor.

A new monthly session has started in a new care home in Waltham Abbey. Joe is the lead instructor.

A new massage taster session will be piloted on Thursday 24 January in Priory Court Community Centre. Joe is to teach a new carer group how to massage. Dao Lu volunteers to take part and learn new skills as well.

A taster session was run at One Hoe Street as part of the opening of the first London Borough of Culture year. AH is requesting that this become a regular class during the London Borough of Culture year.

Action point: AH to circulate Make it Happen funding information launched on 17th January. All to think ideas for application and forward ideas to AH.

Media and Communication

Our telephone number is still out of action. There was a reported £1.50 fee. Action point: CB to check this, and try to recover our number.

CB reported difficulties in creating the new licence booklet. Action point: CB and AH to visit a publisher that AH recommends.

AOB

Nadia Rogmati has requested that she becomes a lead instructor, now that she has a black sash. Action point: AH to mentor Nadia.

Instructor training – with the increased number of instructors, it is imperative that Dao Lu CIC presents a consistent and high-level of instructor and session quality through regular training and mentoring. Action point: AH to organise this. Instructors giving instructor training will be paid for their services.

T-shirts: we currently have no red T-shirts, originally proposed for performances, ​but do have stocks of white ones. It was commented that white T-shirts show up better on a dark stage. An alternative would be the white and light-blue tai chi uniform. Suggestions were made for Dao Lu “polo” and “hoodie” style clothes. Agreed to sell white T shirts to class participants now and postpone discussion/decisions about other options to a future meeting.

Next meeting

The next meeting will be held on Sunday, 28th April 2019, at 11am in the Bowls Pavilion, Lloyd Park. Action point: AH to book the room.

Chair of next meeting: Janet Allman

Minutes to be taken by: Colin Bootle

End of meeting

The meeting closed at 15:45

Action points

CB to inform Companies House of director changes.

AH to chase LBWF that there be a regular London Borough of Culture class.

CB to check the telephone bill and try to recover our number.

CB and Aileen Hamden to visit a publisher that Aileen recommends, for the license.

AH to work with Nadia Rogmati to enable her to become a lead instructor.

AH to organise instructor training.

AH to book the room for the next board meeting.

AH to add T-shirts and performance uniforms to a future agenda