Dear Friends,

As you read this report, we hope you will be inspired and encouraged by the many ways in which the Northern Friends Peace Board (NFPB) has continued its work with Quakers in the north of Britain . While so much public discourse is apparently shaped by fear and short-term self-interest, we seek to nurture an alternative perspective and to contribute to efforts to build a culture of peace.

We are pleased to have found ways of working collaboratively with local Quaker groups in planning our Board meetings.  The wider participation and involvement arising from this has been very encouraging. Our links with other Quaker and non Quaker organisations also continues to inform and enrich our work.

We are all indebted to Philip Austin for the way in which he carries out his key role as Co-ordinator and to Steve Waling, our Office Assistant.  The contribution of Jo Valentine, our Clerk until the end of 2005, has been a great gift to the Board over her four years of service in that capacity.  Staff and committee members have benefited during the year from further training and learning opportunities, strengthening our understandings of employer and employee responsibilities.

Although the world continues to teeter from one violent and unpeaceful crisis to another, we are hugely grateful for the encouragement, concerns and financial support of many people and groups.  This work must continue and we hope that all of us in the NFPB area can be a part. We commend this report to you and welcome comments.

Yours in peace,

General information

During the period covered, Joanna Valentine served as Clerk to the Board, Nova Brockbank as Assistant Clerk, Frances Morgan as Clerk to the Executive, and Tim Carlisle as Treasurer.  The Executive Meeting, comprising our Trustees, met four times during the year.  Frances Morgan and Tim Carlisle continue as Executive Clerk and Treasurer in 2006, and Mary Alice Mansell took on responsibilities of Clerk to the Board in January 2006. 

Other Executive members during 2005 were: Raymond Chadwick, Joy Croft, Wilma Firth and Anni Rainbow.  Jenny Foot and Peter Cheer were appointed to serve from January 2006.  Friends are appointed to the Executive both from the membership of the Board and from amongst Northern Friends as co-opted members.  We devoted resources and to continuing induction and training of staff and committee members. 

Philip Austin and Steven Waling, Co-ordinator and Administrative Assistant respectively undertook the finance-related administrative work from the Board’s office and Philip Austin continued his co-ordinating role in relation to all other areas of the work of the Board and Executive.

The Board maintains effective and regular working links with Quaker Peace and Social Witness, with cross-representation of staff on its Peace Campaigning and Networking Group reinforcing this positive complementary working relationship.

Some objectives for the year included:

Significant activities

Meetings

Following views and concerns raised in a review process the previous year, we made a major commitment during 2005 to make better use of our four members’ meetings as opportunities for reaching a wider audience and for providing a platform for a wide range of speakers.  In doing this, we recognised that opportunities for meeting face-to-face are a key part of Friends’ continued learning about peace but that existing events and structures should be exploited more fully before arranging too many additional events. 

Four Board meetings took place during the year, in Sheffield, Dunblane, Bolton and Huddersfield.  Our speakers addressed a range of issues, and we were pleased to note a significant additional number of Quaker members and attenders participating in these meetings.  Speakers included:

Project work

Three project groups met during the year, planning work relating to Missile Defence, Racism and “Speaking our Peace”.  These groups are composed of Board members, with some additional Friends co-opted from time-to-time. A further area of project work - violence in entertainment - continued without the meeting of a group this year.  Work arising from these groups concerns included:

*        Meetings, with other members of the UK’s Missile Defence Working Group,  with government officials concerned with Missile Defence

*        Production of briefing materials on missile defence, racism and on violence in entertainment

*        A conference in September in Bradford on “Building Peace in Divided Communities”, with speakers from peace studies, Quaker and Muslim Perspectives

*        Organising a range of activities and resources to run during the residential meeting of Britain Yearly Meeting in York in August, including work with the under 19’s programme.

*        Piloting a new workshop format on “Making a commitment to Peace” and running a workshop for Friends in Scotland.

Other key activities to note during the year have included

Reference and Administrative Details

The Board maintains an office in Bolton and a Scottish postal address.  Its constitution is governed by the Law of Scotland. The area of operation of the Board is 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 a part time administrative assistant.

Structure, governance and management

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 the testimony against the occasion of all wars through the provision of resources, organised courses and programmes.  This arises from our original mandate: “To advise and encourage Friends in the north, and through them their fellow citizens, in the active promotion of peace in its height and breadth”.

Procedures of the Board and its committees follow the general counsel on church affairs set out in Quaker Faith and Practice.  Its trustees form the Executive committee and its work is guided by the meetings of all Board members, including representatives of Northern Monthly Meetings and co-opted members.  The full Board and its Executive each meet four times each calendar year and its various sub-groups meet at different times, reporting to the Board and to 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.

Financial Review and Results

Giving from Friends and their Meetings was slightly less during 2005 than it was in 2004.  The bulk of our funds arose from donations from Quakers in the North of Britain, with most other funding coming from charitable trusts for our general work, from interest on invested funds and from sales and fees for events. The new projects set up are ongoing and it is fully expected that the existing funds will be sufficient to meet the needs of these projects. We received no further income from legacies this year and no computer equipment was purchased during the year.

Financial Policies

Risk assessment

In order to avoid running at a deficit we continued to exercise caution in our spending during the year. This has meant that our reserves remain 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  since 2001of three legacies. There may be unexpected uses to which these funds might be put in the course of the year and we expect to draw on them to develop project work when necessary.

Future Plans

Northern Friends Peace Board Members during 2005

London Bombings: NFPB Response

[This was sent to Quaker meetings in the north by the NFPB Executive committee in July 2005]

What is our response to the London bombings of 7 July 2005?  In a world where we are increasingly seeing mass emotional outpourings and demands for instant answers, we believe that it is important to allow ourselves space to experience our individual shock and grief at these and other violent events.

There are no simple or immediate explanations for, or solutions to, the complex problems in our world and in our communities, although there is no shortage of information and analysis.  Instead of advocating particular policies or strategies, we are minded at this stage to honour our questions and to recommend the following from our book of Quaker Faith and Practice.  These may provide both comfort and challenge, and be a stimulus to reflection, discernment and engagement.

Advices and Queries 31-33

31.  We are called to live ‘in the virtue of that life and power that takes away the occasion for all wars’.  Do you faithfully maintain our testimony that war and the preparation for war are inconsistent with the spirit of Christ?  Search out whatever in your own way of life may contain the seeds of war.  Stand firm in our testimony, even when others commit or prepare to commit acts of violence, yet always remember that they too are children of God.

32.  Bring into God’s light those emotions, attitudes and prejudices in yourself which lie at the root of destructive conflict, acknowledging your need for forgiveness and grace.  In what ways are you involved in the reconciliation between individuals, groups and nations?