Hello everyone!
Three weeks into the role I feel I am getting the hang of the organisation. I’m now very clear on what is needed to build a more resilient and efficient internal operation so that we can focus on what really matters: supporting our members to grow their local impact, and through this to develop our collective regional and national influence too.
You’ll need to bear with us as we fix a few internal systems, before we can start the important task of developing a stronger offer to members around recruiting volunteers, engaging with young people, digital communications, income generation, and practical issues such as insurance, websites and more. There are some big opportunities here, and I’m keen to involve members in influencing key changes.
We’ve also started work to further develop our topical expertise capacity with the creation of our Expert Panel. It met fully for the first time yesterday, and its aim is to provide expertise to the team on specific topics, keep a watch on policy developments in those areas, and help provide useful support material for members.
I’ll be arranging to meet as many members as possible over the year, ideally through regional meetings to maximise effectiveness, and am already booked to meet some of you in the Midlands and Yorkshire.
Thanks for your patience as we make some changes, and here’s to growing the civic movement in England together!