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Trustees are not generally able to oversee all business decisions of an area meeting. They may delegate some decision-making to local meetings, and other bodies subordinate to area meetings, while retaining overall responsibility.
- Qf&p 15.08 (part)
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Money and property is managed in a variety of ways across the Quaker spectrum. Area meeting trustees have the ultimate responsibility to ensure that our financial and material resources and well stewarded.
Many of the tasks required to look after financial and material resources can be shared with role-holders locally.
Money
Quaker role-holders that are most associated with the stewardship of money are trustees and treasurers.
Trustees are appointed to serve the charity which local meetings sit within. They have overall responsibility in law but work closely with area meeting and all the local meetings to carry out their work.
Treasurers serve at local and area meeting level. Many local meetings have a separate treasurer to the area meeting. Treasurers at each level within the charity (usually an area Quaker meeting) have to work closely together to ensure that money is used well to sustain the Quaker faith locally and nationally.
To find out how Quaker communities are supported with money visit, www.quaker.org.uk/quakermoney.
Property
Trustees and treasurers are also very much involved in managing and looking after property. Other bodies such as local premises committees have a role in looking after property.
Property might include meeting houses or other buildings, or it could be burial grounds or other pieces of land owned by the charity.
Friends Trusts Limited
There is also a national body that is the legal owner of most Quaker property. Transactions or changes to Quaker property may involve Friends Trusts Limited.
To find out how Quaker communities are supported on property visit, www.quaker.org.uk/property.