Board meeting 24th March 2014

Minutes of the Board meeting of Westray Development Trust held Monday 24th March 2014 at 7pm in the
Community Classroom, Westray
Present: Daniel Harcus (DH) Chair, Margaret Hutchison (MH), June Harcus (JH), Peter Needham (PN), George Drever
(GD), George Costie (GC), David Seatter (DS), Douglas Leslie (DL), Philip Bews (PB)
Attending: Janice Rendall (JR) Minutes
Apologies: None
1 Minutes of Board meeting held 15.02.14: Proposed DS and seconded DL
Minutes of Board meeting held 03.03.14: Proposed GC and seconded JH
2 PEG report:
A copy of the charitable aims of WDT is available from the office.
41/2013 Westray Community Council – external notice Boards
WCC were asking for £332.40 to fund one external notice board to replace the ones at Seatter’s Gallery and JC
Tulloch’s store. This fits with goals f) and g) of WDT.
Recommendation: approve grant of £332.40 to Westray Community Council to pay for one notice board.
Decision: The Board accepted the recommendation from PEG.
42/2013 Westray Nursery – healthy snack sponsorship
Positive feedback was received on last year’s sponsorship of the healthy snack for the nursery children from both
parents, and the wider community. There are more children enrolled in the nursery this year and it costs around £15
per week to provide one portion of fruit per child per session. The children are also provided with other snacks which
the parents pay for. The cost to provide the fruit for snack for the coming year will be approximately £536. This fits
with goals e) and g) of WDT.
Recommendation: approve sponsorship of the nursery healthy snack to the sum of £536 for the coming year. WDT
should pay the sponsorship to the shop and Gina should provide receipts to the WDT office to the value of the
sponsorship.
Decision: The Board accepted the recommendation from PEG.
43/2013 Screen machine visit to Westray – April and autumn
The original approach came from Angie Jennings of Regional Screen Scotland but the application was put through
the system under WDT admin (as a WDT project). The request of for a donation in the same way as the last visit of
the screen machine; WDT donated £100. This fits with goal a) of WDT and it means that Westray residents have the
opportunity to view a recent film on the island rather than having to travel to Kirkwall.
Recommendation: approve a small grant of £100 per visit provided other funding is secured (Westray Community
Council).
Decision: The Board accepted the recommendation from PEG
TG13 Louis Pottinger – driving lessons
Louis fits with the criteria for training grants i.e. resident and working on Westray.
Recommendation: approve a grant of 50% of the costs of lessons up to a maximum of 10 lessons. Louis should
provide WDT with a receipt from driving instructor showing number of lessons taken.
Decision: The Board accepted the recommendation from PEG
TG14 Pierowall Hotel – REHIS Elementary Food Hygiene for 6 participants – 12th March 2014
Application for: Alison Drever, Allison Pottinger, Gill McEwen, Kasia Winskiewicz, Nicola Fergus and Sarah Sumner.
(Sarah didn’t attend but Amy Booth attended instead).
All participants live and work on Westray so fit with training grant criteria and this course is essential for the business
so comes under the statutory training grant scheme.
Recommendation: approve training grant of 50% of course fees per participant (£13.75 each) totalling £82.50.
Decision: The Board accepted the recommendation from PEG
TG14 Pierowall Hotel – Scottish Certificate for Personal License Holder refresher – 6th June 2014
Application for: Alan Drever, Alison Drever, Mabel Kent and Nicola Fergus. This course is essential for the business
and so comes under the statutory training grants scheme. All participants are resident and working on Westray so fit
training grant criteria. Cost of course is expected to be £50 per person.
Recommendation: approve training grant of 50% of course fees per participant named on application. Cost to be
confirmed.
Decision: The Board accepted the recommendation from PEG
TG15 John William Stout – fork lift refresher
John William is resident on Westray and is working so fits with training grant criteria.
Recommendation: approve a grant to John William Stout of 50% of course fees excluding VAT meaning a grant of
£50.
Decision: The Board accepted the recommendation from PEG
PEG AOCB:
The PEG would like to recommend that courses provided on Westray through the learning centre and which are
provided at a reduced rate should not be made available for grant funding under the training grants scheme. The
reason for this is that any participant is already receiving a reduction on the costs by the course being provided on
the island. An example of this is the recent REHIS Elementary Food Hygiene course; this was provided on the island
for a cost of £27.50 per person. The cost of this course normally would be £88 per person.
Decision: The Board rejected this recommendation from PEG on the grounds that the training grant scheme says
that WDT will fund 50% of the balance of course fees after any grant is subtracted which would include grant from
WDT.
Housing was also discussed at PEG with the suggestion that WDT could build 4 x one/two bed houses on the island.
This would address the issue of single residents currently on the housing list for a house being overlooked in favour
of couples or persons with other needs. I f WDT owned the houses, the lettings policy could be written to suit local
needs. DH had attended the housing seminar in Kirkwall; he suggested getting a draft lettings policy from OIC or
OHAL and amending it to suit Westray’s needs. This will be added to the Operations Manager’s work list.
3 Office report: JR’s report had been circulated before the meeting.
Westray Processors turbine servicing – the board decided to leave this until Andy was in post.
Community Broadband update – Andy should continue to work on this when he starts in post as he has been heavily
involved whilst in Shapinsay.
Website updating – the Board decided that staff should be trained to carry out the website updating. Contact Phill
again – JR
Quality Volunteering Standards Award – the Board decided to decline the offer of this from VAO given that WDT is
currently working on the PQASSO standard.
WIFI use in the Hofn (for the bank etc.) – check to see that it works.
JR
4 Articles of Association:
There had been 4 responses to the consultation. The Board decided that the current and the proposed document
should be sent to David Fairnie for legal advice. DH will reply to those who responded.
DH
5 Finance: The financial information was sent to the Board prior to the meeting for their information. There was
nothing to report from the finance papers.
6 Investments: DH reported that he hadn’t spoken to Alan George yet.
7 Operations Manager work list/PEG admin:
Alistair McVicar and David Stephenson have done work on a utilities company so this information should be
obtained from them and passed on to Andy. Housing should also be added to the list and the PEG admin will be as
suggested i.e. Janice to do the admin and Andy to assist with applications and work up WDT projects to put through
the system. JR and AM should sit down and go through the process to see if it can be streamlined and simplified.
JR/AM
8 OSCR visit: DH, GD and JR to attend (JR has booked the plane). DH will contact Andy to ask if he would be willing to
attend – WDT will pay his expenses.
DH
9 David Wilkinson proposal:
This was discussed and it was decided it would be useful. DH will contact DW to see if either the 14th or 15th May
would be suitable and as many directors as possible to attend. JR should book the community classroom. JR/DH
10 Hofn use for Board meetings:
GD and JR will look into requirements for tables and chairs to enable PEG and Board meetings to be held in the Hofn.
JR/GD
11 Quarry:
The costs of shipping aggregate to the island had been circulated to the Board by email and it was decided not to
proceed as the saving was not significant enough.
12 AOCB:
Asset transfer from Energy Action Westray – this was discussed and it was felt the Board required more information
before any further discussion or a decision could be made. DH will write to Willie McEwen asking him to provide the
required information in writing.
DH
13 Date of next meeting: Monday 28th April 2014 at 7pm in the Hofn.
JR left the meeting at 8.45pm
14 WDT Board only – review of the meeting:
Directors discussed priorities for Andy when he starts work.
It was decided to set up a meeting with Dave Stephenson to discuss the work being planned to be transferred from
WRE to WDT on Wed 23rd April; DH to send an invite to David Stephenson.
DH
This would be the highest priority followed by progressing a local utility company.
Other priorities would be discussed with his line manager and taken to the next board meeting.
Andy would be asked to complete time sheets as is done by other staff.
Andy would attend board meetings and leave at the same time as Janice and not attend the director’s part.
The meeting was closed at 9.10pm

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