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Minutes of meeting – 14th June 2021

The Friends of Moseley Road Baths Committee meeting minutes – Monday 14th June 2021 at 7.30pm via Teams.

Present: Joe (Chair), Rachel (Secretary), Mark (Treasurer), Polly, Janet

Apologies: Zhor Malik, Philippa, Damian

Minutes: Rachel

1. Minutes of the meeting of 19th May

  • Plant item may need rewording.
  • Balsall Heath NNO ‘What’s Happening in Balsall Heath?’ meetings are not currently taking place.

2. Reports from MRB CIO and management

  • Two funding applications are pending.
  • Emily Butler (MRB Alive programme) is planning for more community events to take place in the Gala Pool area (see below for current activity).
  • There are discussions about putting a stage into Gala Pool.
  • The CIO are recruiting for a new Chair of Trustees.  Friends are to share the role description widely.  The deadline is 23rd June.

There are no outstanding questions for the CIO this month.

3. 2021 Birmingham Heritage Week: Open Day 12.09.21

  • Please let Joe know if you are available to assist on the day.  We need greeters, people to sell merchandise and people willing to lead tours.
  • Joe exploring insurance issues with Viv.
  • Online booking will be available through Eventbrite.  Rachel to support.
  • Mark willing to lead tours – we will need to consider group size and frequency dependent on Covid restrictions
  • BHW organisers may provide detailed guidance nearer the time.

4. Communications to FoMRB

Rachel to set up an automatic e-mail on the contact@friendsofmrb.co.uk e-mail address to highlight that there may be a delay with responding to e-mails and to direct people to the CIO and to the FoMRB/CIO websites.  Monthly Mailchimp summary also to go out.

5. Plants at the Baths: draft protocol

FoMRB are happy to take responsibility for maintenance of the plants in the building – we will first ascertain whether or not the CIO are happy to keep plants in the building and for FoMRB to take responsibility for their maintenance.  We will put a call out for people willing to take responsibility for plant maintenance.  Polly will now finalise the draft plant protocol.

6. Steve Beauchampé memorial

The amended text has been sent to the CIO and the memorial will be created soon.  Joe to circulate the final text to the FoMRB committee  Joe to check the timescales with Viv.

7. Catch-up on the FoMRB constitution

An updated copy to be circulated by Joe to all Committee members and discussed at a later point.

8. MRB Alive and Educational Activities

  • Femtinos online children’s workshops. Joe to attend and present at ‘Little Ambassadors’ workshop on Saturday 19th June and Joe, Polly, Janet and Ellie willing to attend sharing event on Sat 10th July.
  • BCAT – art workshops taking place.
  • Splash n Scream – workshops commencing on 27th June.
  • Chat and Splash – Women Only sessions on Thursday mornings
  • Women & Theatre – running a Covid related project with women’s groups, Rachel involved as freelance artist.
  • Nelson Mandela School tours – Rachel and Viv leading on this, tour is booked for 23rd June.

9. Any other business

  • Pool of Memories book – question of whether to seek to republish.  Has previously been explored and cost and time is prohibitive.
  • Joe to send through funding application slides from Jo Dimitri (National Trust)
  • Discussion of FoMRB finances to be agenda item for July.

10. Date of the next meeting

Monday 12th July at 7:30pm via Zoom

Minutes of meeting – 10th May 2021

The Friends of Moseley Road Baths meeting minutes – Monday 10th May 2021, 7.30pm, via Teams

Present: Joe (Chair), Rachel (Secretary), Mark (Treasurer), Polly, Viv, Janet, Philippa

Apologies: Damian

Minutes: Rachel

1. Minutes of the meeting of 6th April

Circulated prior to the meeting.  Approved, matters arising to be covered in this meeting.

2. Report back from CIO

  • Reopened on 4th May following some technical issues
  • More morning lane swimming happening, Shoals and Diamond Swimming Academy are back.
  • No Aquarobics happening yet, Adult lessons not yet resumed. 
  • Schools not yet back but hoped that they will begin to return.
  • Swim Academy lessons starting a year after intended, will expand after half term.
  • Gala Pool is available for hire (dependent on the activity).
  • Emily Butler now in post focusing on wellbeing on demand sessions (Drum n Bounce, Yoga, Children’s Yoga, Breathing Project) this will then develop into in-person, paid activities.
  • Next stage of repairs is imminent and will focus on repairing and clearing the front elevation of the building.  Repair work will also be done on the Money-Taker’s flat and Committee Room on the first floor.

3. Questions to the CIO

  • Insurance cover for tours?
  • Can we be Included on mailouts to CIO volunteers?
  • Clarity on callouts for invigilators for Specular Reflecular.
  • Protocol for plant care to be discussed.

4. 2021 Birmingham Heritage Week – 9th-19th September

Joe has informed BHW organisers that we are interested in running an event for BHW. Proposal for an Open Day with tours on Sunday 12th September.  Consideration of Insurance (could come under CIO insurance?).  Focus on tours, selling books and merchandise and recruiting new members.  Possibility of tours for local school pupils during the week.

5. Communications: inclusion in CIO mailings

FoMRB to have monthly agenda items ‘Report back from CIO’ and ‘Questions to the CIO’.  Any questions will be minuted and sent to Kat Pearson, to be taken forward to CIO meetings which take place on the second Thursday of each month.  Answers will be sent through to Rachel as Secretary and fed back into FoMRB meetings.  Friends request to also be added to the CIO mailing list.

6. Steve Beauchampe memorial

A2 panel to be printed and framed to be displayed in the Tearoom, CIO to cover the costs.  We will xo-ordinate the unveiling and a celebratory event with Steve’s friends and family and with Emily Butler at the CIO (who is already co-ordinating with Steve’s friend on this).  FoMRB members encouraged to write a short blogpost with their memories of Steve for https://moseleyroadbaths.org.uk/.

7. Plants at the Baths

Donations of houseplants welcomed.  Issue with plant care being inconsistent.  Joe to raise the issue with the CIO and Polly to draft a protocol to emphasise that the Friends, not CIO staff or volunteers, maintain the plants at present.  Philippa to create labels for plants.

8. Neighbourhood News Online

Rachel plans to host a monthly ‘What’s Happening in Balsall Heath’ online gathering for local organisations to share their news and events for inclusion on www.neighbourhoodnewsonline.com.  This helps lay the groundwork for future Neighbourhood Council plans. Request that FoMRB is represented at this, but further information to follow next month.

9. Date of the next meeting

14th June 2021 at 7:30pm via Teams. E-mail contact@friendsofmrb.co.uk if you wish to attend.

Baths re-opening and clean up

We are excited to learn that Moseley Road Baths CIO have announced that swimming will commence on 4th May. This is the result of lots of hard work by the team to get everything up and running. They are requesting the help of volunteers to clean public areas ahead of opening.

The timetable

This is the provisional timetable from Tuesday 4th May. Do check the Moseley Road Baths website for any updates.

Volunteer clean up

If anyone is able to come along on Thursday evening, any time between 5pm and 8pm, e-mail niki.trenbath@moseleyroadbaths.org.uk. Full cleaning equipment will be provided and Covid restrictions will be in place to keep both staff and volunteers safe. Do please wear a face mask and observe all guidance whilst in the building.

Appeal for volunteers to clean building ahead of reopening

Please read this appeal from Niki from the CIO (who operate swimming at Moseley Road Baths).

As we prepare for reopening (yay!) we need to get the Baths ready to go! So we will be holding a clean up day this Saturday, and it would be great to see you there.

In an effort to help distancing I would like to make it in two shifts, so please let me know if you would rather come in the morning (10am to 1ish) or the afternoon (1ish to 4) so we can make it go as smoothly as possible.  Snacks will be provided!

If you can help, please e-mail Niki at niki.trenbath@moseleyroadbaths.org.uk

Minutes of meeting – 6th April 2021

Friends of Moseley Road Baths meeting, 6th April 2021 via Zoom

Present: Joe Holyoak (Chair), Rachel Gillies (Secretary and Minute Taker), Mark Gunton (Treasurer), Polly Feather, Janet Lewis, Viv Harrison, Damian Hursey

Apologies: Sarinder, Philippa, Raj, Zhor

1. Co-opting members

Viv Harrison and Philippa Webster have been co-opted onto the Committee.

2. Minutes of the AGM

Circulated and approved.

3. Future of the Friends of Moseley Road Baths

No need to replicate CIO’s work to promote the building, but we can work with them to complement what they are doing. Rachel in conversation with Social Media team.

We will seek to host an open day with a tour when allowed.

Membership model briefly discussed but not taken further at this point.

Need to maintain communication with the CIO – putting our minutes online will help, as will regular FoMRB meetings where CIO members can report back.

4. Steve Beauchampé Memorial

A panel to commemorate Steve Beauchampé will be displayed in the Baths    – a draft was screen-shared during the meeting.  It will be A2 size, some amendments will be made to the text.  Rachel to look for images of Steve in the FoMRB archive.  There may be an event in late June to mark Steve’s life.  Any comments or amendments should be sent through to Joe Holyoak at jh@joeholyoak.co.uk by Friday 9th April.

5. Birmingham Heritage Week

We will make plans for a public event at Moseley Road Baths in September 2021.  This also marks 15 years of the Friends of Moseley Road Baths.  Joe to link with whoever is co-ordinating BHW this year.

6. Plants at Moseley Road Baths

The plants in the foyer have suffered during the most recent lockdown.  Thanks to Polly and Carol for caring for plants over the past year.  Viv to enquire about CIO capacity to maintain plant displays.  FoMRB to discuss giving funds at next meeting.  Members of the group are welcome to approach plant centres to seek donations – Rachel to provide letterhead.

7. Date of next meeting

Monday 10th May at 7:30pm via Teams.  Rachel to circulate link in advance – do send agenda items through to her prior to the meeting.

Immersion – Footage of the Gala Pool in 2003

We were recently made aware of a film that was produced in 2003 as part of Birmingham’s bid to be Capital of Culture.

The film was shot in 2003, the year that the Gala Pool was closed for swimming, so it provides a wonderful snapshot of the pool just before it was emptied.

Thank so much to the film’s Director, Paul Green, for sending this through to us. We’re sure it will bring back memories for so many of you!

Steve Beauchampé

We’re really saddened to hear of the sudden death of Steve Beauchampé. One of the longstanding members of the Friends of MRB, Steve helped us to produce a virtual tour of the building, wrote our Pool of Memories book and conducted guided tours during many of our open days. He was eagerly looking forward to the next steps for the regeneration of the building, and his enthusiasm and knowledge of both the architecture and social history of the baths will be a great loss to our campaign to save our much loved community baths.

Lifeguard Training Available!

Do you want to train as a lifeguard?

It’s a great way to keep fit, gain new skills and confidence and help your local community!

Moseley Road Baths CIO can pay some or all of your training costs if you agree to work as a volunteer lifeguard at MRB.

There is a course running at the baths soon on:

  • 19th and 20th May,
  • 26th and 27th May, and
  • 2nd and 3rd June

The CIO would particularly like to train some female lifeguards to help with women only sessions so that more local women can enjoy the benefits of swimming!

Ask at MRB reception for a volunteer form next time you visit or email the CIO for more details – keepswimming@moseleyroadbaths.org.uk

Important update for swimmers – changes in April

Here is an important update from Karen Leach from the Moseley Road Baths Charitable Incorporated Organisation, who will be taking on the running of swimming facilities at the Baths from the start of April.  There will be some changes to swimming timetables, lessons and prices, so do have a read and watch this space for further updates.

As you know the MRB CIO is due to take over the pool soon, and you might be wondering how this is going to affect you and your regular swimming activities. We can’t answer every question yet but here are some initial tips!

  • The new schedule is under development and will be here as soon as we can get it to you. Club and school times will be similar to now, and we’ll have some public swim sessions including women only.
  • There may be a few days’ closure after our official handover date of 3rd April, while we set up our systems and train staff and volunteers. Again we will let you know as soon as we can!
  • The price for a public swim remains the same.
  • We will not be joining the council’s membership scheme, so if you have a direct debit set up with the council which you only use for your MRB swimming, then you may want to stop this and go back to paying per session on the day. We hope to develop a membership scheme soon.
  • We will be running Be Active sessions, as now, which provide free swimming within certain times.
  • We are not permitted to join the council’s Passport to Leisure scheme, which provides concessionary swimming. We’re really sorry about this, but it is important to us to keep swimming affordable for everyone, so we will work up our own concessionary system as soon as we can.
  • Children’s swimming lessons will initially be provided through local swim school ‘Diamond’, who cost a bit more thanStrokes but have a very good reputation. As above, we hope to provide a more affordable solution for those on low incomes in the near future – sorry this is not happening straight away.
  • We are about to start formally recruiting volunteers for reception, cleaning and lifeguarding – thanks to everyone who has shown interest and we look forward to working with you! If you’ve already given us your contact details we will be in touch very soon.

Please let us have any feedback or queries! keepswimming@moseleyroadbaths.org.uk . We’re very busy preparing to operate but will reply as soon as we can.

Finally – for those that are happy in pubs and like cake… the Old Moseley Arms will be holding a Cake Bake-off to raise funds for us, on 2nd March evening. Come along, have a slice ‘for donation’ and even make a cake to enter into the competition.

Look forward to seeing you at the pool soon!