maternal instinct a bit excessive but she sensed that in spite of outward appearances Rachel was a little fragile. Raff could be very bad for her just now.
At last everyone was seated and was catching up with those they were seated next to. They obviously wouldn’t stop talking until they were made to. Sarah had told Lindy that she’d managed to strong-arm a few more people into coming to this meeting.
‘OK!’ Sarah tapped her water glass with her pencil and eventually everyone settled down.
‘First thing on the agenda: getting the hall painted. We’ve got the paint – thanks, Raff – all we need is the manpower. I’ve got a list of people who offered last time. Lindy? Beth? You weren’t here at the last meeting; are you up for painting the hall?’
‘Of course, if Gran will have the boys for me.’
‘A weekend would be best, I think,’ said Sarah, looking at Justin and Amanda, who had been at the previous meeting but hadn’t signed up for decorating. ‘Maybe this Saturday? Do you think you might make it?’
Justin was quick to reply. ‘Unlikely. We’ve got our own house to upgrade. I don’t really want to waste a weekend slapping on emulsion.’
Lindy happened to be looking at Rachel when he said this and saw her wince. Given how scrupulously she’d done her ironing, Lindy didn’t think ‘slapping on emulsion’ was quite her way of doing things.
‘I’ll do it,’ said Raff. ‘I’ll provide ladders and a scaffolding tower. We’ll need one for the ceiling.’
‘So are all the materials donated?’ asked Rachel, pencil poised. ‘If not, how are we going to pay for the ones that aren’t free?’
‘Until we’ve done some fundraising, there is no money,’ said Sarah. ‘I was hoping we could come up with some concrete plans to do this tonight.’
‘Bit of a chicken-and-egg situation,’ muttered Audrey. ‘Maybe we’d be better to just leave things as they are.’
‘Maybe if we all chip in – say fifty quid?’ said Justin. ‘That’ll give us roughly five hundred pounds’ worth of working capital.’
He might as well have suggested everyone present donated an organ in order to make a new, better person.
Sarah broke through the protest. ‘That’s actually a good idea, er, Justin, but most people here couldn’t manage that sort of donation.’
‘We’d pay it back, when the money started coming in,’ said Rachel.
‘Still far too much,’ said Sarah. ‘What about twenty? Two hundred will buy us quite a lot. And we could ask people not here tonight to put up some money.’
‘I’m on a pension. I already suffer from fuel poverty,’ said Ivy. ‘I can do a couple of quid and that’s my lot.’
Lindy saw Raff give her a sympathetic glance and realised she wouldn’t be surprised if this elderly pensioner didn’t find a load of logs by her back door in the near future. He’d be a really nice man if he didn’t play the field so much.
There was more chat and then Rachel tapped the side of her glass. ‘As it’s unlikely we’re going to reach a figure we can all afford that will still give us a useful amount of money, I suggest we all contribute according to our means. And it is only a loan and will be paid back as soon as we get our first booking.’ She looked around. ‘Justin? I’ll put you down for fifty pounds.’
‘Hang on, isn’t it a bit complicated, us all donating different amounts?’ said someone.
‘It’s a loan, not a donation, and it’s not at all complicated if we keep proper records,’ replied Rachel smartly. ‘Probably best if people write down their names and the amount they want to give and I’ll record it. It’ll be private that way.’ She looked around her at the disparate group. ‘I don’t know any of you; I won’t judge you if you put in two quid and drive a Rolls-Royce.’
People chuckled.
‘We’ll do that after the meeting,’ said Rachel and looked up at Sarah expectantly.
‘Right,’ said Sarah, looking, thought her
At last everyone was seated and was catching up with those they were seated next to. They obviously wouldn’t stop talking until they were made to. Sarah had told Lindy that she’d managed to strong-arm a few more people into coming to this meeting.
‘OK!’ Sarah tapped her water glass with her pencil and eventually everyone settled down.
‘First thing on the agenda: getting the hall painted. We’ve got the paint – thanks, Raff – all we need is the manpower. I’ve got a list of people who offered last time. Lindy? Beth? You weren’t here at the last meeting; are you up for painting the hall?’
‘Of course, if Gran will have the boys for me.’
‘A weekend would be best, I think,’ said Sarah, looking at Justin and Amanda, who had been at the previous meeting but hadn’t signed up for decorating. ‘Maybe this Saturday? Do you think you might make it?’
Justin was quick to reply. ‘Unlikely. We’ve got our own house to upgrade. I don’t really want to waste a weekend slapping on emulsion.’
Lindy happened to be looking at Rachel when he said this and saw her wince. Given how scrupulously she’d done her ironing, Lindy didn’t think ‘slapping on emulsion’ was quite her way of doing things.
‘I’ll do it,’ said Raff. ‘I’ll provide ladders and a scaffolding tower. We’ll need one for the ceiling.’
‘So are all the materials donated?’ asked Rachel, pencil poised. ‘If not, how are we going to pay for the ones that aren’t free?’
‘Until we’ve done some fundraising, there is no money,’ said Sarah. ‘I was hoping we could come up with some concrete plans to do this tonight.’
‘Bit of a chicken-and-egg situation,’ muttered Audrey. ‘Maybe we’d be better to just leave things as they are.’
‘Maybe if we all chip in – say fifty quid?’ said Justin. ‘That’ll give us roughly five hundred pounds’ worth of working capital.’
He might as well have suggested everyone present donated an organ in order to make a new, better person.
Sarah broke through the protest. ‘That’s actually a good idea, er, Justin, but most people here couldn’t manage that sort of donation.’
‘We’d pay it back, when the money started coming in,’ said Rachel.
‘Still far too much,’ said Sarah. ‘What about twenty? Two hundred will buy us quite a lot. And we could ask people not here tonight to put up some money.’
‘I’m on a pension. I already suffer from fuel poverty,’ said Ivy. ‘I can do a couple of quid and that’s my lot.’
Lindy saw Raff give her a sympathetic glance and realised she wouldn’t be surprised if this elderly pensioner didn’t find a load of logs by her back door in the near future. He’d be a really nice man if he didn’t play the field so much.
There was more chat and then Rachel tapped the side of her glass. ‘As it’s unlikely we’re going to reach a figure we can all afford that will still give us a useful amount of money, I suggest we all contribute according to our means. And it is only a loan and will be paid back as soon as we get our first booking.’ She looked around. ‘Justin? I’ll put you down for fifty pounds.’
‘Hang on, isn’t it a bit complicated, us all donating different amounts?’ said someone.
‘It’s a loan, not a donation, and it’s not at all complicated if we keep proper records,’ replied Rachel smartly. ‘Probably best if people write down their names and the amount they want to give and I’ll record it. It’ll be private that way.’ She looked around her at the disparate group. ‘I don’t know any of you; I won’t judge you if you put in two quid and drive a Rolls-Royce.’
People chuckled.
‘We’ll do that after the meeting,’ said Rachel and looked up at Sarah expectantly.
‘Right,’ said Sarah, looking, thought her
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