1. General Meeting for Scotland
  2. Becoming QiS

Becoming QiS

Why | How we got here | Steps | What does it mean for us? | Further info

  • This page links to several previous pages about the QiS process, presented in context below and in Further Info at the foot.
  • QiS News provides regular updates on progress.
  • QiS documents gives additional detail on key issues.

Why

The work required to run a charity has increased substantially with new regulations and laws. We currently have 6 Quaker charities in Scotland (4 AMs, GM, and Dundee Friends Property Trust), and are finding it increasingly difficult to fill key roles, including the trustee roles that carry our legal responsibilities. In response, Area Meetings in many UK regions are looking at amalgamating their charities. Many other organisations are doing the same.

For Quakers it would reduce the number of role-holders, hopefully releasing energy and enable some economies of scale. It is likely to entail some increase in paid administrative support in order to keep the role of being a trustee manageable.

But it's also an opportunity

We do a number of things together across Scotland already, with success in amplifying our concerns. Our permanent presence at the Scottish Parliament has been particularly notable. Many Friends have also commented on the opportunities for increased communication and fellowship across Scotland that could come from reducing barriers between geographical areas, and being able to recognise non-geographical groupings. Situating our charity at a national level could strengthen both our community and the impact of our activities.

How we got to here

2015 North of Scotland Friends (NSAM) began to ask about future organisation
2017 NSAM asked GM to consider a single body for Scotland
2018 Options considered at a dedicated meeting – reported diverse views to GM
2020 NSAM reapproached GM
2021 Options for Scotland group (OfS1) set up by GM
2022 OfS1 reported to GM in March. OfS2 appointed to consider more radical options.
2023 OfS2 reported to GM in June, recommending a single organisation. Further details of possible ways foward were requested. GM in September then recorded agreement from AMs to work towards a more detailed vision.
2023 GM appointed a QiS coordinating group (QiS-CG) to outline a single charity Quakers in Scotland, and develop thinking on how we might most effectively work together.
2024 GM in September agreed to an application to OSCR to establish a new charity. A special GM to consider AM nomination committees have been asked to propose names of potential Foundation Trustees for a new charity to GM. 

Steps in moving to single body

  1. Agree constitution for the new charity, seeking advice from the Scottish charity regulator (OSCR) and others.
  2. Foundation Trustees make an application to OSCR.
  3. Agree how to transfer and manage property and money and other statutory necessities.
  4. Agree how we would manage other spiritual affairs.
  5. Agree quaker arrangements for recording membership of the Society of Friends (BYM).  
  6. Existing charities join the new charity as they agree.
  7. When transfers of responsibility, property and funds are complete, lay down the old charities.

Regular updates on progress are added to QiS News.

What would having a single organisation mean for us?

In our Local Meeting – we shouldn’t anticipate perceptible changes for Friends attending local meetings. If a local meeting has a meeting house, it will still need to have people locally responsible for its day to day management. The responsibilities and participation of QiS and the local meeting would be agreed in a Memorandum of Understanding. Any employees would now be employed and paid by the central organisation.

In our Area Meeting – even without their charity responsibilities, Area Meetings could still meet, whether labelled with a new term or otherwise. New groupings, including non-geographical groupings (for instance young Friends, remote Friends) could also be created. Any of these groups could take on functions such as managing eldership, membership - formally these responsibilities would be delegated from QiS.

Several things would become simpler for existing AMs. QiS would take on responsibility for employment, property ownership, need for annual reporting and accounting. Fewer trustees would be required from each region. Should an AM still have difficulty making appointments, informal amalgamations would be simpler under the umbrella of a single charity.

As mentioned above, functions such as membership, eldership, nominations, could be looked after regionally as they are now, or differently if Friends agree that would be better.

FURTHER INFORMATION

The OfS2 process and report


CiS-CG 9 Nov 2024