We had 19 members on screen. We have come together to discern the way ahead. The meeting has been prayerful, supportive, creative and joyful.
At the end of our face-to-face Community Day in November, part of our minute had read: “We have heard about the need within Quaker Voices on Mental Health for connection, cohesion, capacity and simplicity; both inner (within ourselves), and outer with Local and Area Meetings, Britain Yearly Meeting, other Quaker Recognised Bodies, and beyond.”
Separately from the Community Day, we have heard that Quaker Voices on Mental Health is valued by its members, and is playing an important role within Britain Yearly Meeting.
Today, members of Quaker Voices on Mental Health (QVoMH) have met to discern what we could do, if it were possible, to move to a sustainable future for QVoMH; or alternatively to lay down QVoMH.
In 3 rounds of small group discussions followed by plenary sessions, we have addressed the following questions:
We have heard that Friends are passionately hoping that a way forward can be found for QVoMH to continue to develop its work, while acknowledging that doing so is dependent on finding a Clerk or Clerking Team.
We have discerned that the most likely way to find a Clerk is contained in the ‘Transitioning to the Future’ document (here). The Nominations Group has communicated that the Clerk role would be more attractive to Friends if they knew that there was to be regular paid ‘Personal Administrator’ support.
Since we are reluctant to give up the struggle to keep QVoMH going without trying an alternative possibility that has been offered, we thank the temporary clerk and the Steering Group for offering to try and deliver ‘Transitioning to the Future’. Although the challenges are significant, we are hopeful that a way forward can be found.
We have expressed our gratitude for the work for mental health of so many Friends over the past decade.
We have heard about six ways in which Friends have offered to support QVoMH going forward from this meeting:
The Steering Group plans to offer, not another ‘Consultation’ meeting, but a shorter ‘Update’ meeting for members. This will be either just before or just after Easter 2026, and we will circulate the date as soon as possible. Members who have offered their support today or previously, in any way large or small, are most warmly invited, so that we can co-ordinate and make the most of all increased capacity for QVoMH during the processes ahead of us.
We record our thanks to the Acting Clerk, to Rob Griffiths, and to members of the Steering Group, for all the work that has been involved in preparing for today’s successful meeting.
A copy of this minute can be downloaded as a PDF file here.