29 November 2022
Rachael Hanley-Browne, President of EMCC UK, writes:
As we approach the end of 2022, the membership of EMCC UK continues to grow, which is both exciting and challenging. We have more members now than ever in our history. This has implications for us as volunteers on the board and also offers us fantastic opportunities in the years ahead.
Here I say thank you to those volunteers who retired this year, and welcome those who have joined us. We currently have 104 active volunteers, which is a tiny percentage of our membership. They have contributed to over 160 events and numerous networking and learning opportunities this year. As I will never tire of saying, without our volunteers, EMCC UK could not function or achieve anything. We owe them deep gratitude, especially for giving us their time pro bono in this economic climate. Find out more about volunteering here.
Firstly, I would like to acknowledge those who have supported us to get us here today, starting with our team in operations who do so much work behind the scenes. Thank you, Michelle, Sarah, and Sophie, for your contribution and commitment.
I would also like to thank our volunteers, specifically Katie Hodgson, who has recently stepped down after chairing our London network for over 10 years. Thank you, Katie, for everything you have done for us, and for developing a vibrant, inclusive and thriving network. You also found your successors, which is a true legacy.
Thanks also to Nigel Cumberland, who stepped down as a member of our Governing Body in November. Thank you, Nigel, for your contribution to our governance, and for your advice and support to me as president. Nigel remains on the EMCC Global Executive Board.
And finally, to Dr Fiona Day, who has made a significant contribution to the development and delivery of our Spotlight series. Thank you, Fiona, for your innovation and commitment to the learning and development of our membership community.
We created several new roles in 2022, including Director of Digital, Directors for Practice in Coaching, Mentoring and Supervision, as well as a Vice President with a focus on governance and operations. These new roles are all vital to support you, our members, and help give us strength in depth, and in facilitating the modernisation of EMCC UK.
Many of you may have seen the director vacancies in our newsletter and in emails, voted, and perhaps considered joining us. Maybe you thought these director roles were not right for you or your experience. We recognise that not everyone wants the commitment of being a director, so there will be many more opportunities to get involved in 2023.
We will be sending an email to all our members which will include details of a number of upcoming roles. We are particularly keen to have those from under-represented groups join us, including some of our affiliate and associate members. If you would like an informal chat about this, please contact the relevant director to discuss the roles in their specialism. Simply send an email to us at [email protected], and we’ll pass it on to the director.
The new board members, who all are volunteers, include our non-executives: Philippa Eddie, Linbert Spencer and Jason Rabinowitz. Our new executives are Ivan Beaumont, Director of Digital, and Christopher McLaverty, Director for Mentoring Practice – plus Hannah Butler, whose membership of the board has been extended in her new role as Director for Coaching Practice. Please follow the links above for their bios, and we will also be signposting the newer directors and governors on social media.
We have two further directors coming up for election in early December, so please expect to receive an email about that shortly. Our Governing Body has also had two new volunteer members, Wendy Strohm, and Penny Aspden. Thank you to you all for voluntarily giving up your time to lead our organisation and to represent our membership.
My next blog in December will focus on 2023, our modernisation, plans and strategy. You can contact me at [email protected]
Image: Rob Bates on Unsplash