- Introduction
- General
- Challenging Militarism
- Culture of Peace
- Communications
- Membership
- Accounts and Executive Report
- With thanks
Introduction
Welcome to our belated Annual Report. As we have brought our financial reporting and governance structures up to date so that we can feel confident that we are fulfilling our stewardship responsibilities to Friends, we have needed to take more time in the preparation of our Accounts this year. Our systems are now robust and, thanks to the continuing support of many F/friends, and to the particular generosity of those who left us legacies during the year, our financial health is also now greatly improved.
This firm foundation for our work is greatly needed as we face a frightening escalation of military intervention. The events of 11 September 2001 in the United States have escalated a process already in train. The players on the world stage are changing and many of the structures and assumptions we have relied upon to maintain our fragile semblance of peace and security are being challenged. In their place, we are seeing both increasing militarism, and the steady development of a new understanding of our essential inter-connectedness; of the relationship between peace and security at home and economic justice abroad; of the reality that security cannot be achieved through technological and military might. We face increasing challenges to oppose this growing militarism, and the opportunity to promote and spread the new insights; to help our communities and leaders to consider and develop peaceful alternatives.
The three strands of our work continue to be relevant – Challenging Militarism, Creating a Culture of Peace, and Communicating our work, and we trust that the resources and inspiration we have been able to share this year with Friends, and with our partners in the Peace movement, have given our collective witness nourishment and strength.
Jo Valentine
Clerk
General
At our first meeting of the year, in Manchester in February, there was already talk of the virtual certainty that the United States would wish to attack Iraq some time in the coming 12 months. This was shocking to some, coming so soon after the military action in Afghanistan at the end of the previous year. But the introduction by the US administration of the term ‘axis of evil’, which included Iraq, clearly set out the nature of their political view of the world.
Throughout the year, our Board meetings have been experienced by our members as important ‘pit stops’ in the midst of busy lives. They provided inspiration, stimulation, friendship and refreshment – all greatly needed at such difficult times. One Friend described them as a concentrated space for Quaker reflection, reminding us of the particular contribution that we, as Friends, have to make to peace work. Particular bits of input at our meetings have covered:
Our meetings also receive reports from, and give general guidance direction for our ongoing work. We have continued to shape our work around the three working groups of:
- Plans for a nonviolent peaceforce and the efforts of Peace Workers UK to these ends.
- Trident Ploughshares
- Experiences of living and working amongst Friends in the United States during the first year of the ‘war against terrorism’
- Westmorland General Meeting’s ‘Preparing for Peace’ initiative
The rest of this report covers these three themes. With the rapidly changing and constantly challenging world agenda, it has sometimes to been difficult to keep the work of these groups as sufficiently focussed as we would have liked and to give them as much energy as had been envisaged. The office has had additional calls on its resources for information and networking, and individual Board members – on whom we depend to support and manage the work – have been more than usually involved in local and regional peace activities. The benefit of this latter ‘problem’ however, has been that we have been more aware of the activities of Friends and attenders throughout our region and we hope that we have been able to respond appropriately.
- Challenging Militarism
- Working for a culture of peace
- Communications.
We have found it difficult in recent years to run extended weekend meetings for our members. Our September meeting in Glasgow, however, included time for a Meeting for Worship outside the gates of the Trident nuclear weapons base at Faslane and for more reflective time in the evening, exploring some of those aspects of our journeys and visions for peace without being tied to a busy agenda.
Challenging Militarism
This area of work has been significantly helped since early 2001 by additional funding from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. This has helped in particular in giving us the confidence to work in more depth on some of the issues and to pay more attention to the production of printed materials.
It was clear early in the year that the ‘war against terrorism’ and any likely war against Iraq was going to continue to take a significant amount of our time and energies in this area. We recognised that it would become difficult – and perhaps wrong – to continue with the specific project goals without reference to this wider context. The working group was therefore clear that the same core aims should remain, but that a more explicit link should be made in this area of work to the military plans and activities of the United Kingdom and the United States.
The aims of the work described here have been:
Specific activities that we have undertaken towards these aims during 2002 included:
- To focus on particular aspects of militarism in the north of Britain, seeking to draw Friends and others’ attention to their existence.
- To provide succinct information about the roles of these places and of the policies and trend that have given rise to these.
- To support Friends in undertaking action for change in relation to these and other places, from peaceful witness to dialogue with decision-makers.
- Dialogue Workshops: Arranging and running two workshops with Janet Bloomfield of the Oxford Research Group, on the theme of Dialogue with Decision Makers. The first was held in Lancaster Friends Meeting House, with a general theme but working groups developed this further on specific issues. The second, in Edinburgh, looked at decision-making in relation to nuclear weapons issues and in relation to the looming war against Iraq.
- Signpost Leaflets: Initiating a series of leaflets called ‘Signpost Leaflets’ to stimulate discussion, reflection and action by Friends and others. The first of these focused on UK nuclear weapons in relation to the non-proliferation treaty process, on the UK subsidy of the arms trade and on military bases in the north of Britain.
- Information: Monitoring the documenting the discussion in the main-stream and specialist press, maintaining up-to-date links and resources via our web site.
- Worship and witness: Supporting and participating in acts of worship outside military bases at Faslane, Fylingdales and Menwith Hill. We have circulated information about these events to Friends and have been encouraged to learn that numbers attending have increased. We joined with Glasgow Friends in September for a Meeting at Faslane, during our Board meeting weekend.
- Missile Defence Working Group: Collaboration with other members of the Missile Defence Workshop in the production and distribution of a briefing paper on the UK and the US’s missile defense proposals, and in other work of the group.
- Government: Correspondence with the government on the issues.
- Other networks: Participating in international conferences – the launch conference of the European Network for Peace and Human Rights, in Brussels in January, and the annual conference of the International Network of Engineers and Scientists for global responsibility, in Bradford.
Communications
The year was one in which communications to a wider audience became increasingly important, as the build up to UK and US military action against Iraq developed. Our core communications tools remained the same, with several innovations and changes along the way. Upgraded computer equipment in our office has added to our ability reach more people in a wider variety of ways, with information and other resources.
- Newsletters: The balance here shifted from our more general ‘Peace Board’ newsletter to a shorter and more topical Northern Friends Peace Bulletin. This was in recognition of the fact that at times there was a need to get more current information out quickly. As well as the printed version, we developed an email list of Friends able to receive this on behalf of their Meetings. This technique of distribution needed refining, but proved a good additional channel.
- Labels and stickers: We expanded the range of our envelope re-use labels by adding the ‘People need Water not Weapons’ design. We changed from producing them in two-colour format to a simpler one-colour printing. This enabled us to keep the sale price the same. All three designs were selling well at the end of the year. During the year we developed a series of ‘mini-stickers’ – short peace messages on self-adhesive stickers. Sheets of these sold well throughout the year. Printing has been done in-house giving us the capacity to respond to demand as it has arisen.
- Banner kits: Launched in 2001, these kits have been put together by Caroline Westgate – one of our co-opted members – and have also sold well throughout the year. The banners – which are designed to be carried by one person – enable a Quaker presence at a demonstration or vigil to be more colourfully visible. Full instructions for making the banners have also been available on our web site and appear to have been used often.
- The Peace Papers: One new set of papers was produced and distributed in the course of the year and plans for further materials were developed. It did, however, prove harder to move this longer-term peace resource forward at a time when Friends involved in commissioning and editing – as well as some of our potential writers – have been pre-occupied with more topical peace work.
- Posters: We produced simple A4 posters for Friends and others to use (for enlarging and using on placards at vigils etc.) One non-Friend spotted with one of these at a demonstration commented ‘This has been my voice at many demonstrations’. They were distributed to Meetings and available from our web site.
- Web site: We have been able to maintain up-to-date information, links and resources on our web site throughout the year and have received positive feedback from a wide range of users. Internet users visited our site from all parts of the world.
- Networking: We continued to be a point of contact for information and ideas, and received and responded to many enquiries, from Quakers and non-Quakers. The level of work in this area increased throughout the year, due to the growing threat of war.
At a time of war and of threatened war, the idea of a culture of peace may seem to be a luxury. But if we see war as a system, as a way, rather than simply a series of events, we might rightly regard the nurturing and support of a different way of relating - of living and dealing constructively with difference and conflict - as the bedrock on which anti-war campaigning should be built.
- Building a Culture of Peace workshop
This is a central plank of our culture of peace work. We ran fewer of these than planned during the year, however, with some being postponed or called off due to other pressures on Friends and their meetings. The materials and exercises in the workshop have continued to be developed in the light of the experience of running them, and drawing in new resources. We made useful progress during the second half of the year towards compiling such materials, along with an outline of the workshop, into a pack that Friends and others might use for themselves.
- Reflection Sheets In parallel with the workshop we initiated a series of 'reflection sheets' on aspects of the broader theme of a culture of peace. These were distributed to all Northern Quaker Meetings, and will also be available as a general resource at our workshops and at other events, as well as on our website.
- Racism and 'un-peace' A key theme continuing this year was that of racism and the damage it does to our communities. We have had in mind in particular some of the northern English towns and cities where violence and extremism have manifested themselves in recent years. We were pleased to have the opportunity to join with the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust and a group of ordinary people in Oldham in supporting a simple local newspaper advertisement calling for respect and tolerance in that town. A number of unrelated difficulties meant that we did not arrange a second consultative meeting between Friends in the north to consider these issues, but we have kept informally in touch with a number of them. The working group continued to explore what an appropriate and effective role for us should be here.
- Wider networks We supported the inter-faith 'Week of Prayer for World Peace' (organised each October) by making some of their basic information materials available to a wider audience on our website. We began discussions with the organising committee about continuing and expanding this particular support. We have also made efforts to stay in touch with other groups and organisations, such as the Peace Museum project in Bradford, the Peace Education Network, the Scottish Centre for Nonviolence and ecumenical bodies linked to the World Council of Churches' 'Decade to Overcome Violence'.
- Violence in entertainment A concern developed in the working group on the subject of violence in entertainment, from battle re-enactments to TV programmes and computer games. After initial consideration by the working group in November, the concern was brought to the Board meeting later that month to explore further. It was not clear at the end of the year where this concern might take our work, but the group was hopeful that it could provide a real and useful focus for our energies.
NORTHERN FRIENDS PEACE BOARD STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES AND INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT for the year ended 31st December 2002 INCOMING RESOURCES Donations - Individuals - Legacies - Meetings - Trust Funds Investment Income Workshop Fees and Sales Other Sundry Income TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES RESOURCES EXPENDED Salaries Rent, Heat and Light Staff and Committee Development Stationery, Postage and Telephone Communications and Events Representatives Travel Insurance Depreciation Cost of Publications Project Work and Workshops Misc Office Accountancy Sundry Board & Executive Travel & Internal Meetings TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED NET INCOMING RESOURCES Funds Brought Forward Funds Carried Forward All of the charity’s operations are classed as continuing.
NORTHERN FRIENDS PEACE BOARD BALANCE SHEET as at 31st December 2002 FIXED ASSETS Tangible Assets CURRENT ASSETS Debtors Cash at Bank and In Hand Stock CREDITORS Amounts Failing Due within One Year NET CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES RESERVES Report of the Executive
The executive submit their report and the accounts for the year ended 31st December 2002. The executive confirm that the accounts comply with current statutory requirements and the charity's constitution.PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES
The principal activity of the board is the advancement within its areas of operation of the religious principles of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) through the education and training of members of the public in matters of justice, peace and the integrity of creation with special reference to that against the occasion of all wars through the provision of organised courses and programmes.
ORGANISATION AND ACTIVITIES
The board shall maintain a Scottish postal address and its constitution shall be governed by the Law of Scotland. Procedures of the Board and its committees shall follow the general counsel on church affairs set out in the Book of discipline of the Society.
The area of operation covered by the Board shall be primarily that covered by the General and Monthly Meetings of Britain Yearly Meeting in Scotland, North Wales and Northern England.
The board employs a co-ordinator, and an occasional part time administrator. There were no changes in activities in the year.
REVIEW OF PROGRESS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Our work continued to be based around our three key working , established at the end of 2000. These were on the areas of 'Challenging Militarism', 'Culture of Peace' and on 'Communication'. All members were encouraged to become involved in the work of at least one of these groups, which met throughout the year. The working groups' activities and functioning could not but be shaped by world events in the course of the year, with the constantly-changing situation arising from the UK and the US response to threat of terrorism and subsequent preparations for military action against Iraq. The bulk of the work continued to be conducted from our office at the Victoria Hall in Bolton.
Four Board meetings took place during the year, with speakers on a range of issues of interest to our members and of relevance to our work of seeking to support Quakers and others in acting for peace in all its height and breadth. One of our meetings - in Glasgow - was slightly extended, giving our members an opportunity to hold a Meeting for Worship outside the Royal Navy base at Faslane. The Executive Meeting, comprising our Trustees, also met four times during the year.
Executive members and our one paid employee - our Co-ordinator, Philip Austin - attended training courses during the year. During the period covered, Joanna Valentine has served as Clerk to the Board, Clare Whitehead as Clerk to the Executive, Nova Brockbank as Assistant Clerk, and Tim Carlisle as Treasurer. Tony and Jane Robinson were appointed to serve as joint Administrative Treasurers in April, undertaking the bulk of the routine book-keeping and payments in and out of our accounts.
Other key activities to note during the year have included: workshops for Friends and others with Janet Bloomfield of Oxford Research Group on 'Dialogue with Decision Makers'; workshops for Friends on "Building a culture of Peace'; continued networking amongst Friends in the north on the issue of racism and 'un-peace'; production of additional materials - on paper and on our web pages - to support people in their witness and other responses to world events; production of the first four in a series of 'signpost leaflets on issues relating to militarism in the north of Britain; participation in a range of conferences and other events; collaboration with other members of the UK's Missile Defence Working Group on a joint briefing for MPs.
At the end of the year we had completed the process of recruiting a one-day-per week office assistant. In the course of the year, individual Friends have provided valuable voluntary assistance in the office, as and when needed.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE EXECUTIVE
The law requires the executive to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources of the year and the application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the executive are required to:
The executive are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with applicable accounting standards. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently,
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent,
- state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements,
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.
COMMENTARY ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT
Giving from Friends and their Meetings has shown a significant increase in the course of the year, which is very encouraging. An appeal we ran at the beginning of the year and our affinity scheme with the Phone Co-op have both helped in this respect. Revenue from Charitable Trusts has remained steady, whilst some of this restricted for particular purposes remained unspent at the end of the year. The projects concerned are ongoing and it is fully expected that the existing restricted funds will be spent in the next eighteen months. We received an unexpectedly high level of income from legacies this year, having received little from this source for a good while.
RISK STATEMENT
In order to avoid running at a deficit we exercised caution in our spending during the year, and put in place a system for continued monitoring of potential risks. This has meant that our reserves are at a good level, giving security and confidence for the future. A higher proportion of our assets were in the form of cash rather than stock at the end of the year, putting us in a stronger operational position.
RESERVES POLICY
In March 2001 Trustees agreed that we should endeavour to hold in our reserves the equivalent of four month's running costs, based on the period of notice required for the termination of our Co-ordinator's employment and any winding up costs associated with that. Our current reserves exceed this margin, largely as a result of the unexpected receipt in the course of the year of three legacies. We have budgeted to use some of these reserves during 2003 on archiving work and anticipate that, in the prevailing world situation, there may be other unexpected uses to which these funds might be put in the course of the year. Restricted funds received in earlier years and still held should be spent by the middle of 2004.
By Order of The Executive
Clare Whitehead, Clerk
28 June 2003
With thanks Friends throughout the North have continued in their financial support through Meetings, as individuals and via collections. Some have raised money through sponsored activities, others have given that little bit extra using Gift Aid and other such tax-effective methods, and others still have supported us through our fund-raising scheme with The Phone Co-op. All of these individual efforts add up and make a real difference together.
As recorded elsewhere in this report, we were also blessed during 2002 to receive three generous legacies. These make a great difference to our funds and will be of great help in coming years.
Those who supported us in this way…
Leonard Bird was known to many Friends for his active involvement in peace work both amongst Friends and more widely. Leonard had been actively involved in the work of NFPB over a long period, having served as Treasurer for some of this time and being instrumental in developing links with the former Soviet Union in the 1980s. From his time in prison as a conscientious objector during the second world war to his travels Costa Rica in the 1970s to study this ‘unarmed democracy’, Leonard’s pacifism was a driving force throughout his life.
Frederick Hudson was also a registered conscientious objector during the second world war, having been attracted by pacifism and becoming a Friend whilst a student at Manchester University. He was particularly inspired by Jock Sutherland, then Warden at Dalton Hall student residence. Starting in life as a Methodist, his Quakerism saw him over the years attending Meetings at Aberdeen, Stourbridge, Disley, Colthouse and Bewdley.
Griselda Thornley, of Adel Meeting, trained as an occupational therapist during the war and then after the war worked in Germany to help alleviate the suffering of German people. She worked professionally in Leeds for most of her working life. The testimony to the grace of God as shown in her life, written by Leeds Monthly Meeting, records that she ‘spent all her adult life working quietly in her various and many activities for the benefit of her fellow man without ever seeking the limelight. She was a good and faithful Quaker and her simple loyalty informed her work, her relationships and her interests. She was a lovely friend.’
Charitable Trusts
We are also deeply grateful for the generous support of the James Reckitt Trust, the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust and the Westcroft Trust.
More information For further information about any of our work or ways of supporting us please tick the appropriate box and send the form to the address at the bottom
My name and address:
Send to: NFPB, Victoria Hall, Knowsley Street, Bolton BL1 2AS
- Publications and resources
- Workshops
- Web and email resources
- Challenging Militarism signpost leaflets
- Calling for Peace scheme with The Phone Co-op
- Giving using Gift Aid / standing order forms
- Other information – please specify
Email: nfpb@gn.apc.org
