Simplification of Quaker governance in Yorkshire
This page gives a summary of the background for the simplification of Quaker goverance in the Quakers in Yorkshire region.
Timescale and background
- In 2019 a group with the acronym GRASP (Group to Reinvigorate and Simplify Processes) was set up and produced the GRASP report in February 2021. This received widespread support and made a series of recommendations, many of which have been implemented in Local and Area Meetings.
- The desire for simplification led to a group to consider how to simplify charitable functions across the Quakers in Yorkshire region. The report from that group, titled Keeping the wheels turning asked the seven Area Meeting if they agreed in principle with the proposal to form a single charity. During Spring 2024, all the seven Area Meetings agreed in principle.
- In Autumn 2024 detailed proposals were published and considered by Area Meetings who decided that they wished to commit to forming a single charity which will be the merger of the existing area meeting charities. The new charity to be called Yorkshire Quakers.
- In Spring 2025 area meetings appointed 2 members to join a Yorkshire Quakers Implementation Group.
- In Summer 2025 the Implementation Group developed a draft Constitution and recommendation for appointing Trustees. Working Groups on Goverance, Finance, Property, Employment and Safeguarding have been considering how to simplify and integrate the management of these functions into a single charity.
- In Autumn 2025 the area meetings appointed the first trustees and apporved the constitution so that application can be made to the Charity Commission to register Yorkshire Quakers.
Further details and links to the reports published can be found here