WEDNESDAY 14th JANUARY 2026 11.30am

• Apologies

There were none.

• Minutes of last meeting

No ongoing matters arising.

• Treasurers’ report

  • Karen and Stella reported that the total raised for MNDA from our Christmas Concert was £2150.  With expenses of £344 deducted, that left £1835.36 actually donated. The Just Giving page is still open and currently at £220.

  • Rachel to close it at the end of January.

  • Karen pointed out that the SumUp card reader was well-used at both the concert and at Asda busking.

  • The balance in the VV account is healthy, and members’ termly subs are coming in well.

• Review of Christmas Concert

  • Positives:

    • The concert was a huge success musically - the large audience was very enthusiastic.

    • The speaker was good.

    • Donations were excellent.

    • Bell ringers were well-received.

  • Areas of concern:

    • Large numbers of audience queueing to get in and seated. 126 paid at door.

    • Parking problems with cars queueing down the lane, despite the good work of the stewards.

    • Difficulty of getting audience into the food hall. Long queues for tea; uncomfortably overcrowded. Some people left.

    • Choir needing to move chairs into the food hall.

    • Not enough food to go round.

    • Audience and choir talked while bell ringers played.

    • Readers were not always audible. 

• Future concerts

  • After much discussion on the above, the following decisions were agreed:

    • Spring Concert, (Wed March 25th  at Kennet Valley Free Church).

    • Cost to go up from £5 to £8 per person.

    • Programmes to be sold at the door as usual. Cash or card. Karen to operate the SumUp.

    • Raffle: usual format but fewer prizes, and better quality.

    • Food - just small cakes. No sandwiches, savouries etc.

    • Dishwasher to be used to speed up washing up and save kitchen people’s sanity.

    • Time of choir arrival for rehearsal and concert to be specified more clearly on Jane’s email.

    • If more setting up time needed, then Sue to book extra minutes.

    • Ian to consider how he chooses the readers for better clarity.

    • Carolyn to research possibility of buying our own microphone. (Rachel does have one which could possibly be used) although the KVF church one was good.

  • Charity: Launchpad.  Rachel has a contact there and will investigate.

  • Summer Concert (Wed July 15th at English Martyrs).

    • Arrangements as above, but with the use of an online ticket platform.

    • Sue has a contact at Ticket Taylor, Sue and Karen to look into this and set up.

Tickets to be available both on-line and at the door.

• Charity: A local charity for care leavers, Stella to investigate.

• Christmas Concert no date yet but only one concert, not two, as had been suggested, but with restricted numbers.

• Numbers to be limited to max 100. On-line ticket platform to be in use.

• Possibility of bell ringers to be considered but with improved organisation.

• Posters/publicity

  • Rachel happy to continue designing concert poster. 

  • A tighter time schedule was agreed in order for Hilary to get concert advertised in various local publications.

  • 7 weeks before concert, Rachel to circulate first draft to committee.

  • Committee to respond within 3 days with any comments, amendments or additions.

  • Rachel to circulate final version to committee, 6 weeks before concert.

  • Rachel and Karen to get quotes for having professionally printed flyers/posters - approx. 10 x A4, 50 x A5, 100 x A6 needed.

  • May be more viable to print and laminate our own A4 ones as in the past, as Ann has laminator.

  • List of past members to notify re concerts - not discussed. Add to future agenda.

• Busking - why so few attendees?

Not discussed. Add to future agenda.

• Date of next meetings

  • Spring Concert planning: Wednesday March 11th 11.30am.

  • Full termly meeting: Wednesday 22nd April 11.30am.