Issue - meetings

To provide an update on the Outdoor Donation Post project and seek approval from members to progress this project with a view to installing the donation post in the first quarter of the new financial year.

The meeting resumed at 11:20.

The Committee received a report providing an update on the Outdoor Donation Post project and seeking approval from Members to progress the project with a view to installing the donation post in the first quarter of the new financial year.

The Committee considered the following matters:

a)            Installation. The Streetcare Manager explained that the Company providing the donation post would not be responsible for its installation, and that the responsibility and cost of installing it would fall under the Committee. She confirmed that the post would be installed close to the café.

b)            Planning Permission. A Member enquired as to whether planning permission would be required for the post’s installation. The Streetcare Manager confirmed that the matter was being investigated.

c)            Donations. The Streetcare Manager confirmed that the post would provide a means for card donations only, with no option for cash donations.

d)            Donation Amount. The Arts, Culture and Heritage Officer confirmed that the post would be set to a standard donation amount. The Streetcare Manager advised that most donation posts are set to £3 as standard, though suggested that a set amount up to £5 was considerable. Following a question from a Member, The Arts, Culture and Heritage Officer explained that donation posts designed for indoor use at other facilities such as museums provide the option for users to vary the amount that they donate, saying that it could be investigated as to whether that could be an option for the outdoor post at the Park.

e)            Communications. The Streetcare Manager suggested that marketing and public communications would be an important factor in the success of the donation post and its associated fundraising goal. She cited the example of wording used in the messaging employed by the Royal Parks: ‘The magic of a Royal Park is priceless, but it doesn’t come for free’; she suggested that similar messaging could be used for the Nonsuch Park donation post, and that the matter would be considered further.

f)             Reward for Donating. A Member enquired as to whether there was a means to provide something in return to donators, to encourage and reward people’s generosity. The Streetcare Manager explained that the post technology would not allow for that. The Arts, Culture and Heritage Officer suggested that an option could be explored for a QR to be provided next to the posts with a link to information about the Park for people to read.

g)            Power. The Arts, Culture and Heritage Officer explained that solar panels had been explored as an option to power the post, but it was not stable or reliable.

h)            Funding. The Streetcare Manager explained that the Committee was being asked for an estimated £2500 for the post which would constitute 50% of the overall cost. She explained that the money had been found from previous underspending from the Committee’s budget, with the remaining 50% being offered by the Friends of Nonsuch. The total anticipated cost of £5000 would include the cost of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29