The recording clerk of Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM), Gillian Ashmore, has resigned, it was announced last week.

A statement released to media explained: ‘Britain Yearly Meeting trustees regret to announce that they have felt it right to accept the resignation of Gillian Ashmore, recording clerk. She feels it is time to step down and that a new person with different skills is needed now to take the work of change forward into the next challenging phase.’

Gillian Ashmore was previously a civil servant and had been in post for just over three years. The Friend understands that her last day in Friends House will be at the beginning of September.

The trustees’ statement also said: ‘We recognise and admire the considerable achievements of her time as recording clerk. We are working with the assistant recording clerk, Michael Hutchinson, and the senior management team to minimise loss of momentum and ensure continuity in the work and the process of change. We are also engaged in beginning to draw up the process of recruitment of a successor. We hope that Friends throughout the Yearly Meeting will uphold Gillian, Friends House staff and the trustee body at this time.’

Britain Yearly Meeting’s general secretary of finance and human resources, Gillian Palmer, has also recently left her post.

An online only version of this story was published last week.