PPC MINUTES

8PM 9 AUGUST 2006 HOLY SPIRIT SOCIAL CENTRE

The meeting was opened with a prayer.

PRESENT

Fr. Gregory Tobin (GT), Chris Hoban (CH) (Chair), Maura Roche (MR) (Secretary), Peter Molyneux (PM), Mary Crosby (MC), Peter Fooks (PF), Maria Dabrowska (MD), Jim Harrington (JimH), Vicky Acklam (VA), Peter Walsh (PW), Liz Bonner (LB), Jonathan Higham (JonH)

APOLOGIES

Fr. Peter Vellacott(PV), Maria Simister(MS), Cathy Clark(CC), Ian Murray(IM),

Anne Murray(AM), Veronica Lawrence(VL), Bernadette Turner(BT), Anne Turton(AT), John Edwards(JE), Paul Lyons(PL)

MR read out a note of thanks from AM.

 

MINUTES OF JULY 2006 MEETING

Accepted as a true record of the meeting.

MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES OF JULY 2006 MEETING

  1. Parish Pastoral Plan

    2. Discussion deferred to a future meeting.

  2. Health & Safety issues in the church & social centre
    1. Plans to carry out some refurbishment work on the upstairs room in the Social Centre are to be put before the Diocesan Buildings and Sites Commission for their approval. Parish groups who use the upstairs room have been consulted about possible improvements. Health and Safety aspects of the work have been taken into consideration.
    2. It was noted that written reports have not yet been received following the recent electrical inspections of the church and social centre. MR to chase up the reports and the completion certificates for recent work. Action MR
    3. Further discussion took place about the use of incense at mass. It was decided to continue to use it at all masses but to use less charcoal and incense. The situation will be monitored and reviewed at the next meeting. The importance of ensuring good ventilation at mass was discussed and the possibility of installing air conditioning in the future was raised.
    4. JonH pointed out changes in fire regulations practice due to be brought in this October, where fire certificates will no longer be issued and we will have to carry out our own fire risk assessments. CH pointed out that checks on emergency lighting, fire exits and the fire alarm are currently carried out on a regular basis in the social centre and the checks are monitored by the social club committee every month.

     

  3. Youth Leader

    4. A discussion was held about the recommendations in Tom Baptist’s report about Parish/Youth formation. The report was praised and GT suggested that it would be an excellent investment in our young people to appoint a Parish Youth Leader. It was decided that we should set up a sub committee to recruit and support the Youth Leader. GT will research whether the leader should be employed by the parish or the diocese. Action GT

    LB offered to set up a management committee and will discuss its formation with VL and others. Action LB

  4. Justice & Peace Group

    5. LB reported that Phil Bonner has gathered a list of interested parishioners and will get in touch with them in September.

  5. Parish AGM/PPC Membership

PM reported that Phil Withers won the recent election for a new PPC parish representative by 47 votes to 16 and has been invited to take up his position from the parish AGM (7pm Sunday 1 October 2006). It was hoped that Maria Gascoigne might consider joining the PPC as a new Youth representative. MR will invite Maria to consider this. Action MR

PM asked the PPC members to publicise the AGM within their groups and asked for each group to mount a display at the AGM in line with last year. PM will liaise with Brian Carroll to organise the agenda and invitations for the AGM and will publicise it in the parish newsletter. Action PM

It was decided to follow the same agenda as last year and to present a copy of the financial report to all parishioners who attend. A copy of the financial report will be placed on the parish noticeboard after the AGM.

A discussion was held about PPC membership and constitution. It was suggested that we set up a sub committee to look again at the constitution after this year’s AGM. In the meantime GT suggested that PPC members should feel free to step down if their circumstances or priorities change. In addition he feels that we should not ask members to step down automatically when "their 3 years" are up. If however you have served 3 years and want to stand down you should do so and try to find a replacement from within your group – but don’t worry if this proves to be impossible.

VA offered to continue updating the parish diary when she steps down at the AGM.

  1. Day for Life: issues regarding disability

The following points were discussed as spin off ideas from the Day for Life :
    1. Fitting a wall cupboard in the disabled toilet to store plastic cups, a first aid pack and disposable toilet items
    2. Clearing the church disabled toilet of all stored items that clutter the available space – to be moved out and stored in one of the garages
    3. Request for a disabled toilet in the social centre
    4. Request for more disabled parking spaces – perhaps designate the parking spaces in front of the social centre bar as disabled spaces for weekend masses
    5. Supply larger print versions of mass missalettes for visually impaired parishioners – MR to look into this Action MR
    6. Encourage readers to include disabled parishioners in the offertory procession
    7. Have shared reading slots
    8. Greeters to make sure that church doors are open to allow easy passage through
    9. Provide some single seats in church
    10. Have more social occasions

LB & CH will give the listed points further consideration & examine how we can move them forward. Action LB & CH

LB reported that the local Methodist Minister has offered to come along and talk about Day for Life issues.

CH reported that he is still looking into producing larger hymn numbers for visually impaired parishioners
  1. Travel Plan

CH is actively sourcing 4 bike hoops to be fixed to a wall near the railings outside church Action CH

 

RACIAL JUSTICE SUNDAY

VA agreed to process the liturgy pack in preparation for Racial Justice Sunday

(10 September 2006)

FEEDBACK FROM NEWSLETTER PPC COLUMN

David Paton wrote to seek a decision about whether the parish will be making a financial contribution to the new Becket school chapel. GT will contact David to reply. Action GT

DIARY SLOT

VA distributed the latest update of the parish diary

The meeting was closed with a prayer.

NEXT MEETING

8pm Wednesday 13 September 2006 in the Social Centre. (Apologies PF)