On Saturday 18th November, we had the pleasure of holding our AGM. It was a unique experience for all involved being the first hybrid meeting held by NCWGB.
Our President, Elsie Leadley, chaired the meeting from Darlington, with about 30 members in attendance, while a further meeting was hosted in Nottingham by members of the NCWGB Management Committee and yet more people participated individually via Zoom.
We received so much positive feedback, that it was a successful way of making sure as many Members could participate in the debates and annual ratification of our Resolutions as possible.
We value all of our members and want to make sure every voice counts, especially when it comes to the ratification of our resolutions which really drive our work forward.
New Resolutions
Within the meeting NCWGB members reaffirmed their commitment to:
“¢ Our 2006 Resolution which calls upon Her Majesty’s Government to work towards the achievement of gender parity at all levels of decision-making in the United Kingdom, including Parliamentary representation. Read more
“¢ Our 2018 Resolution which urges the government to improve the new statutory guidance for Relationships and Sex Education, to ensure the sexual safety and wellbeing of future students and indirectly decrease gendered violence by tackling the power dynamics at the root of gendered abuse. Read more
The following Resolutions were ratified:
“¢ In the lead up to the United Nation’s 2024 Commission on the Status of Women, which will focus on poverty, NCWGB urges the UK Government and international community to make accessible education a key policy aim.
“¢ NCWGB calls on the international community to co-operate, to radically strengthen climate action plans on both demand and supply for urgent and transformative action.
New Trustees
At our AGM it was announced that Elsie Leadley, NCWGB President since 2019 was stepping down and Jilly Rogers would become the next NCWGB President.
We also welcomed three new trustees:
Bushra Ahmed is an experienced charity sector leader and strategic community consultant skilled in working with civil sector, non-profit organisations and charities. She has served on finance and fund-raising committees for various boards at local, regional and national level and has an in-depth knowledge of social justice including on youth violence, domestic abuse and empowering women. She was nominated as one of 2022 Most Influential list of Fundraisers by Fundraising Magazine and continues her active participation in numerous charitable organisations such as Lloyd’s Bank Foundation Trust, the Greater London Authority’s expert advisory group, and Age UK.
Ann Davison began her career at Which? and has worked in consumer affairs thereafter. She won the UK Woman of Europe 2000 Award and has served as a consumer representative on a number of government committees. For nearly six years Ann was Defra’s consumer advisor and was chair of its Consumer Representatives Group. In addition, Ann co-founded the Fairtrade Foundation and chaired its Certification Committee for eleven years. She also chaired the World Development Movement. This appointment sees Ann make a welcome return to NCW.
Toni Letts began her journey as a nurse, which fuelled her passion for creating safe spaces for young people, a commitment that led her to become the CE of Croydon YMCA Housing Association. During that tenure she took particular pride in creating safe havens for women fleeing domestic violence. In recognition of her contributions to the community and humanitarian efforts Toni was awarded the OBE from the late Queen in 2004. She has also chaired Croydon’s Domestic Violence Murder Reviews and has spoken at the UN and international conferences about the advancement of women and the impact of domestic violence on individuals and communities.
(Photo – from left to right Gail Bishop, Trustee and Parliamentary Advisor; Elsie Leadley, National President; Ruth Batty, Director for Development)