[WGNC] FoNC - FW: meeting note from Wed 7 July brolly meeting

Fri Jul 9 17:16:48 UTC 2021

Hello FoNC Working Group,

I took part in this informal meeting on Wednesday evening of Edinburgh
Cemeteries Group, chaired by Susan Buckham of EWHT.  Thoughts and comments
always welcome and you may be interested in the proposed workshops.  As I
received no positive  reaction when some weeks ago I referred to whether we
wished to rake part in Doors Open Day this year (25/26 Sep) and we are not
now restarting our own working parties before September, you will see that I
have said we will forget it this year, unless things change.   The publicity
will be online only and we do not know what physically it will be possible
to do by the end of September.    At present nothing to stop us doing a
Fingus Foray later if circumstances permit and there are volunteers.  I will
separately forward the Agenda for Wednesday¹s meeting as this has attached
the documents referred to in Susan¹s note of the meeting.   I don¹t know who
is in Working Group re coverage or whether it would be better to send to
Friends for Magnus to forward.  I am sending this to Ellen and Carolyn
additionally just to be sure.

Tony 

From:  Angela & Tony Harris <alltnasubh at blueyonder.co.uk>
Date:  Friday, 9 July 2021 at 15:40
To:  Susan Buckham <susanb at ewht.org.uk>
Cc:  C GERARD <caroline.gerard at btinternet.com>
Subject:  Re: meeting note from Wed 7 July brolly meeting

Dear Susan,

Thank you for the note of the meeting on 7th which I will circulate to our
group.  At present as with last year we have not yet recommenced activities
post pandemic as a Group and have not indicated that we will take part in
Doors Open Day this year as we have so far not been able to undertake any of
the activities or research to support that.  If that situation changes  we
will let you, Caroline and Cockburn Association know.

Tony Harris
Friends of Newington Cemetery

From:  Susan Buckham <susanb at ewht.org.uk>
Date:  Friday, 9 July 2021 at 12:10
Cc:  Caroline Gerard <caroline.gerard at btinternet.com>
Subject:  meeting note from Wed 7 July brolly meeting

Thanks to all who joined Wed¹s ŒBrolly¹ meeting, I thought it would be
helpful to circulate a brief note of our discussions for those unable to
come along and as a prompt to those who did for any action points.

1.     EWH free training workshops: Susan asked if groups could let their
members know that free training workshops will be offered on the following
topics (more details will be circulated near the time). Please email Susan
with any requests for specific topics / issues to be covered as EWH wants
participants' input into content to make sure it meets volunteers¹ interests
and needs: 
> 1. Saturday 4 September (11.00 am -4.00pm delivered by Zoom with breakout
> group activities): Visitor surveys (how they can help, exit polls,
> questionnaires, observational surveys, interviews, data management)
> 2. October (date & times tbc, delivered in a graveyard with short Zoom intro
> session): Graveyard conservation (assessing stone condition, conservation
> methods & documents, graveyard maintenance)
> 3. November (date & times tbc, delivered by Zoom with breakout group
> activities): Graveyard interpretation & educational resources (formats,
> messaging, evaluation)
> 4. February (date & times tbc, delivered in a graveyard with short Zoom into
> session): Graveyard photography (photogrammetry, lateral lighting)
2.     Update from Robbie Beattie on CEC initiatives (cut and pasted from an
email sent to Susan  text in bold is Brolly feedback).
> 1. Friends Group Guidelines: The Cemetery Strategy report was withdrawn from
> the June Culture committee agenda. Hopefully it will go to September
> committee. Therefore the attached appendix 9 remains draft and unapproved
> [circulated previously ]. The delay perhaps provides an opportunity to
> populate the notes and comments section. In the draft that you [SB] sent on
> behalf of the group it had numerous to check or to be added notes which were
> removed. Susan offered to add best practice guidance and circulate to the
> Brollys for comments and suggestions. Following feedback Susan will also
> suggest to CEC that details on legislation (including listed buildings) is
> reinstated in the text along with the use of an umbrella term for all types of
> graveyards for clarity. Further suggested minor revisions will also be fed
> back to CEC.  
> 2. A draft lottery bid was submitted but rejected with the guidance saying in
> essence a bid needs to be about people not places, e.g. a bid to restore the
> catacombs at Dalry, Grange Newington and Warriston would be rejected. But if
> it could be demonstrated that significant numbers of people would participate
> in the restoration and benefit from their use after the fact for local history
> tours etc that might have more traction. The team are now managing a £1.2
> million capital investment in cemeteries so due to lack of resource have no
> plans to submit a further lottery bid in the next six months
> 3. Draft management rules are also attached for interest of the group
> [circulated previously]. I would be keen to understand thoughts on the modern
> trend of grave embellishment with gravel, balloons, small conifers (which in
> 20 years will be tall enough to grow over adjoined memorial stones), picket
> fences, cut flowers in plastic wrapping, cans of beer, bottles of whisky.
> Memorialisation and wind chimes and the like in a green burial site where the
> only expected memorialisation is expected to be a tree.   The general feeling
> expressed was this was a management issue for CEC and not really falling
> within the locus of Friends groups. However, if CEC decided to facilitate
> public discussion on this issue, then the Brollys might be able to help
> promote awareness of this.
3.    Request from South Queensferry Friends to circulate any Œwish list¹
for maintenance / other works that have been agreed between CEC and Friends
groups. Please email any documents to Neil Walker mesp2008 at hotmail.co.uk

4.     The next Edinburgh Greenspace forum topic is trees.

5.     Doors Open Day events, Caroline will email everyone to set up a
meeting to discuss how to best co-ordinate and promote.

6.     Brolly newsletter  not planned for near future but Caroline will
initiate when she gets chance.

All good wishes
Susan

Dr Susan Buckham
Graveyards Project Manager
Edinburgh World Heritage
5 Bakehouse Close
146 Canongate
Edinburgh EH8 8DD

(please note my usual working day is Wednesday)

Directline:  0131 220 7721
Mobile: 07546 897 469

Edinburgh World Heritage Trust is a charitable company limited by guarantee.
Registered in Scotland No. 195077.  Scottish Charity No. SC037183

http://www.ewht.org.uk <http://www.ewht.org.uk/>

Facebook: 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Edinburgh-World-Heritage/438159939545723
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