Minutes of the Hillingdon Inter Faith Network
(HIFN) Officers Meeting
Thursday 26th April 2007
Present: Duncan Struthers Chair
Mike GettlesonVice Chair
Pastor Tunde BalogunTreasurer
Fiona GibbsLondon Borough of Hillingdon
Apologies:Amir AhmedSecretary
1)Welcome
Duncan welcomed everyone to the meeting
2)Finance
Pastor Tunde fed back that paperwork had now been sent off with regards opening of the HIFN bank account. He is hopeful that the account will be opened within the next few days.
3)Launch Event
Date: now confirmed as 3rd July 2007
Time: from 7pm
Venue: The Council chamber in the civic centre has been offered as a possible venue for the HIFN launch event. Everyone agreed that this would be appropriate. Fiona to make arrangements.
Agenda: Duncan suggested that the launch included the agreement of members that the consitiution be formally adopted at the event and that current members and others who might be interested be formally elected to continue the development of the network and plan for an inaugural AGM in the future.
Fiona and Duncan to draft papers.
Chair of the event:
It was proposed that David Brough be asked to Chair the event. This was agreed.
Speakers:
There had been a very good response so far to suggested speakers from the different faiths:
Jay Lakhani – Hindu
Dr Indarjit Singh – Sikh
Regula had recommended someone from the Christian community and Tunde also suggested someone from the Peace Alliance.
These to be confirmed.
Mike suggested Henry Grunwald and Sidney had also proposed a local Rabbi from the Jewish community. This to be confirmed.
Valerie Mellor was looking into contacts within the Buddhist community.
Amir was identifying someone from the Muslim community.
Both to be confirmed.
It was agreed that a briefing paper needed to be prepared for speakers and background to HIFN etc
Theme: this needs to be agreed quickly – some suggestions were made
Question Time
- Faith Your Faith
- What does Hillingdon believe?
- ? of faith
- a shared future
- living & building together
- shared differences
-shared tapestry
Refreshments:
Catering will be required for 70/80 people. Light snacks.
Fiona to liaise with Amir and Priscilla Simpson for quotes.
Constitution
It was agreed that a summary document would be produced for the launch – with details of access to full document on the HIFN webpage on the councils web site.
It was agreed to finalise the constitution by adding that a quorum for:
AGM meetings: should be one tenth of the membership consisting of at least 4 represented faiths.
Committee meetings: 5 members representing at least 4 faiths
4)Actions for the next meeting
Constitution
Elections and nominations
Speakers
Publicity
Action Plan:
Officers to look at the Action Plan circulated by Duncan and to identify priorities for this year.
5)External Scrutiny
Duncan fed back to the officers that he had attended the Council’s External Services Scrutiny committee meeting to discuss community cohesion on behalf of HIFN.
Duncan attended the recent West London Inter Faith Forum where they discussed the research project they had been funded to deliver on Faith Hate Crime.
Inter Faith UK had approached HIFN to sing up for membership.
Fiona to look into whether there is a fee etc
6)Date of next meeting:
Thursday 24th May from 2pm – 4pm at Swakeleys School, Clifton Gardens, Uxbridge, Middx UB10 0EX