London Area Meeting FAQs

Contents

The following categories of FAQs can be viewed using the navigation menu at the top of the page or using the search facility in the top right corner:

• General

• Alternative structures

• London AM

• Trustees

• Quaker Processes

• Existing Groups and Structures

• Local Meetings

• Involving and learning from others 

• Staffing

• Finance

• Community 

For any unanswered questions, London Quakers are collecting questions on our behalf using their contact form here.

Introduction

The London Development Group has been gathering questions asked by Friends and now presents a list of FAQs with answers, as far as we can provide them at this stage.  The list may grow and change over time.  Please note that some of the answers are drawn from proposals which have not yet been brought to the Joint Meeting of the 7 Area Meetings for consideration.  They will be for Friends to unite on or develop alternatives to, once the full set of proposals is complete. 

The starting point for the proposals for governance is of course Quaker faith and practice, and some answers give references to key paragraphs (in the 5th edition - https://qfp.quaker.org.uk)

Since 2019 Friends in London have been working on proposals to bring together and simplify the governance structures of Quakers in London.  We currently have 9 separate charities to run – 7 Area Meetings plus London Quakers Property Trust (LQPT) and London Quakers.  Total membership across London has fallen to 1042 (2023 figure).  The groups appointed to develop proposals sent out consultations to the AMs in 2021 and 2022, and an 'Invitation to Commit' in June 2023.  Each set of papers had increasing detail and built on the AM responses to date. The proposal is to have a single London Area Meeting, incorporating LQPT and London Quakers.  A more detailed 'Story so Far' is here.