AGM 2013: Convenor’s Report, Steering Committee and motions

Convenor’s Report: ‘This has been another successful year for SWAN – as shown by the size of our conference (our main event of the year).

The following are the key points for conference to note. A couple of points need to be formally voted on.

1. This year we have had a dedicated media team taking control of our Facebook and Twitter presence. This has worked well.

2. The steering committee now meets 4 times a year via tele-conference.  Now we have the hang of this it is working very well! Rich chairs the meetings and they have been very fruitful.

3. Steering committee meetings are open to the 10 elected committee members, plus one rep from each swan group, plus a member from each relevant affiliated group (at present that is Autistic Rights, shaping Our Lives, and, from now, DPAC). All have equal voting rights.

4. This year we have launched the new journal and we also have a new series of booklets coming out with Palgrave.

5. We have extended our international network. We have groups in Ireland, Greece, Canada and Australia. We have sister organisations (though not called SWAN!) in Hong Kong, Hungary and developing relationships in Turkey.

6. One of our founder members Vassilios Ioakimidis has been elected second to the European Association of Social Work

7. As convenor I have been invited to conferences in Middlesbrough (NE SWAN), Huddersfield, Bradford and Leeds. I have also spoken on our behalf at the Brain Injury SW conference. Last year I was invited to speak to a similar orgaisation to us in Brazil.

8. We had a very successful intervention at the international federation conference last July in Sweden. Our meetings was so big we had to hold it in the cafe!

9. The steering committee agreed to affiliate to Unite the Resistance. This needs formal approval this morning.

10. We have an offer from Durham University to host next year’s conference on behalf of NE SWAN. This will mean holding the Conference in June. This needs formal approval this morning.

In solidarity

Michael’

Treasurer’s Report 2013 and AGM minutes with motions are attached from this year’s conference.

Steering Committee 2013-14:

Michael Lavalette – National Convenor
Iain Ferguson – Treasurer / Membership secretary
Rea Maglajlic – SWAN International Secretary
Jane Phillips
Terry Murphy
Vasilios Iokimides
Dan Morton
Maria Pentaraki
Kerry Cuskelly
Karl Knill
Sue Talbot
Bob Williams-Findlay
Rich Moth
Peter Beresford
Mark Baldwin
Simon Cardy
Barrie Levine

Proposal to be voted on at next teleconference – expand the steering committee to 17 members.

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