BOTLab Quarterly Members' meeting Q3 2023

Bristol Open Technology Lab C.I.C general meeting

Date/time: 19:00, 11th July 2023.

Location: Bristol Hackspace, with online option.

Trustees report

• Charity process - Felix

Background work including changing banking provider means nothing to report, still in progress

• Business rates changes - Felix

Final business rates liability has been calculated at £2069.60 for this FY.

Committee report

• Hot works update - Alex, Felix

Electrical work in place, more work to to do on are separations, still awaiting induction process - targeting August insurance renewal

Need rubbish in space disposing of

• Tool access control - Sam

System approaching minimum viable product rollout

Incidents and complaints review

Open proposals

• Wood lathe - Marsh
• CNC mill offer
• Metal lathe chuck

Areas of Hackspace that need attention

• CNC room layout and furniture need work
• Old extraction kit, laser chiller, other junk need homes / disposal
• Metal shop needs some attention
• Grinder bench for hot works area

Proposed changes to funds accounting in preparation for charity status - Felix, Nick

Currently all income and expenditure not otherwise earmarked (e.g. maintenance fund) come via the Hackspace's general bank balance. Charity accounting practices keeping unallocated cash on hand, as funds must either be spent towards the organisations charitable aims unless held for a justifiable purpose in pursuit of those aims. As discussed at the AMG as part of the charity proposal the trustees also have a personal liability to maintain oversight of the way in which funds are being spent towards these aims.

We propose prior to the charity conversion process completing the Hackspace adopt a budget structure whereby income is portioned for different forms of use towards the Space's aims. The Trustees will, after each quarter calculate the surplus in funds after unavoidable costs of doing business (rent, rates, bills, insurance etc) and will split this among the following funds;

• An operating budget for the following quarter for all spending that falls under the committee purview (consumables, actioning of small and medium proposals ect) thereby empowering the committee whilst retaining the required oversight.
• A newly created Projects Fund to provide resources for occasional larger projects and purchase that are over and above the regular proposals process and actioned via general meeting such as recent hot works investment or large increase in capability purchases.
• A newly created Premises fund with the goal of saving towards our next move or premises of our own in the future, in order to secure the long term future of the Hackspace.

This tiered fund model will allow easier reporting and membership oversight of how much spending is available in a sustainable fashion as opposed to current reporting of simply how much is in the bank, and allow the Charities Commission to easily see how we are planning to use the funds we have on hand towards the stated aims. The proportion allocated to these funds will be the oversight role of the Trustees and will vary depending on income and spending patterns, with initial values taken from spending patterns over the past 12 months with excess forming the initial Premises fund.

Proposed changes to Emergency fund - Felix, Nick

Our Emergency fund currently stands at 6 months rent only. In order to improve the Hackspace's resilience we propose changing this to 9 months of all essential costs of doing business. This would allow the Space to theoretically weather another COVID level desabilisation, or afford a deposit on new premises even whilst suffering the loss of income as per London HS's issues.

• People

• Points discussed