Makerspace hits 340 members!

[Dermot (Dermot Jones)]

Closer is better, but a good transport link between the spaces would go a long way

Please feel free to investigate

[electronoob]

make it so

[RobertL]

Takes me 30mins with electric bike and train. Probably 45mins by train & tram.

Space availability and suitability seems to be the biggest hurdle.

[RobertL]

Can I get copies of SLM organisational documents:

Eg. Accounts, constitution, policy, architectural plans, etc

[peter_hellyer (Pete Hellyer)]

Accounts, constitution

These you can get from companies house. Policies are where available on discourse, architectural plans I can’t help with I’m afraid.

[unknowndomain (Tommie / TomL / Tom)]

Accounts

Makerspace only submits the short accounts though so there is no way to see what it actually spends money on in detail.

I have previously suggested this isn’t transparent and there is no good reason for a member owned organisation not to show this information to it’s members.

Constitution / Policy

Makerspace doesn’t really have one, there are the articles of association which are mostly boiler plate except:

Specific Objects

• The objects of the association are:
  • to promote and encourage creative, technical and scientific skills through social collaboration and education;
    and
  • to provide and maintain shared community workspace and equipment in Greater London.

There are as @peter_hellyer mentioned the various different rules that are semi-official and there is a code of conduct but this was all written a long time ago and has only has very minor updates as the governance working group was meant to be reviewing these things but that kind of fell apart (in my mind due to scope creep), the exception is the grievance procedure.

Plans

You should ask for these from @tomnewsom.

Other

Other than this there are guides on Hackspace Foundation and a meet up of people who organise these spaces called Open Workshop London, email me if you are interested in this.

Also would say that the lesson I learnt from helping to setup SLMS with @tomnewsom is that you need a mission statement/constitution/terms of reference from day one and display it clearly so that everyone is on the same page, it’s one of the points of most contention to this date with SLMS.

Also second absolutely must is not just to build a community but a steering group/directors/trustees what ever who are truly diverse.

[RobertL]

Thanks ever so. That’s exactly what I wanted.

You’re right, everything should be transparent. Unless there’s a very good reason why not. Obviously personal information should be removed, unless consensual.

I’ll read the links you’ve given and ask @tomnewsom for the plans.

Sounds like Open Workshop London would be very useful to my vision for SLM2

[RobertL]

need a mission statement/constitution/terms of reference from day one and display it clearly so that everyone is on the same page, it’s one of the points of most contention to this date with SLMS.

Also second absolutely must is not just to build a community but a steering group/directors/trustees what ever who are truly diverse.

Agreed. Structure has integrity

[Dermot (Dermot Jones)]

I have previously suggested this isn’t transparent and there is no good reason for a member owned organisation not to show this information to it’s members.

This is not hidden from members, unless you mean the minutiae?

It’s also against my instinct to share this information beyond the membership – but that’s probably just a business hangover…

[Dermot (Dermot Jones)]

Ah…I thought you were looking on our behalf?

[RobertL]

against my instinct to share this information beyond the membership

It would only be for me at the moment and I’d edit anything that I use elsewhere.

I thought you were looking on our behalf?

It’s mainly for a 2nd SLM to cope with the overflow since the membership cap.

[Dermot (Dermot Jones)]

It’s mainly for a 2nd SLM to cope with the overflow since the membership cap.

Excellent, that’s what I thought!

[unknowndomain (Tommie / TomL / Tom)]

Yeah different perspectives, I feel that it should be an open book of accounts with names of individuals redacted so that people can look at it and challenge spending, but I also know how much of a pain in the ass that would be for you guys.

[RobertL]

it should be an open book of accounts with names of individuals redacted so that people can look at it and challenge spending

Agreed

[Dermot (Dermot Jones)]

So this is what we’ve traditionally done, though I forgot at the last couple of meetings

https://discourse.southlondonmakerspace.org/t/makerspace-accounts-summary-for-members-meeting-1st-october-till-4th-dec-2017/8315?u=dermot

If a member wants to drill down further I’d always be willing to show them detailed a breakdown – so far no one has asked, and this feels a clear way of presenting the figures

[RobertL]

Another plus for in or around Croydon is several volunteer-run community gardens and maker-type projects (up-cycling, wood recycling, mushroom growing, etc) who I’m sure would be very supportive and helpful.

[naxxfish (Chris)]

To me the published accounts seem pretty reasonable, though possibly breaking it down a little more would be useful (calling out expenses against larger projects, for example).

What would be super nice (but by no means necessary) is something not dissimilar to the LHS’s “Cost of Hacking” chart to show the top level breakdown showing how my own contribution (i.e. membership fee) is being spent. Somewhat like the HMRC “where do my taxes go” information they give out these days.

[Dermot (Dermot Jones)]

A pie chart, for example?

[naxxfish (Chris)]

Yum! Yeah, that kind of thing.

[Dermot (Dermot Jones)]

I’ll do that for next meeting, seems like a good way for people to get a handle on the figures