28 July 2020: Another month has slipped by and our extraordinary times continue with no end seemingly in sight at the moment. The Friends have remained busy behind the scenes, putting finishing touches to the print version of the magazine, dealing with policy matters and recently holding a trustees’ meeting.
We made some important decisions about the future of the Friends and how we will be adjusting to meet the ‘new normal’ of our current times. I will explain a bit more about this later in blog. However, I want to start with some good news on the funding front. In my last blog I highlighted the projects that we will be supporting when they finally are able to begin. One of these is the Friends’ Research Fellowship Scheme, which we had already agreed to extend, based on our previous experience, to 12-months to enable a more effective period for carrying out research.
We have now received and approved an application from TNA. The research will be based on the First World War Unit War Diaries (WO 95) which was the largest digitisation project undertaken by TNA who published the digitised Diaries online in 2014, thereby enabling users to access 1.5 million pages.
The FTNA Research Fellow will develop and use advanced digital methods to further the understanding of the First World War Unit War Diaries, helping to unlock the story of the British Army and its units on the Western Front for researchers and public audiences. There is much to look forward to and it is hoped to get the fellowship underway by September or October.
The current situation has created a boom in the use of online and telephone meetings as well as hosting all kinds of different activities and events. We have been using telephone conference calling for our trustees’ meetings and will soon be changing over to video conferencing. A lot of time and effort has been saved by not having to travel to Kew for meetings. Rather than go back to normal when this is all over, I have been keen to explore ways in which we can do things differently – smarter, not harder.
The trustees have agreed to move most of our governance and management activities online, and not return to the regular bi-monthly meetings held at Kew. However, we will retain at least two annual physical meetings (restrictions permitting), one before the June AGM and one in December for our end-of-year event.
Part of the reason for moving online is also to enable members living further afield, beyond the London Travel Zone, to participate in the running of the charity without the need to regularly attend Kew. It will cut travel time and allow us to be more flexible and efficient with the voluntary time we devote to managing the charity. The change will be supported by robust and consistent communications with senior managers, staff and our project partners.
Given the current restrictions the trustees have also agreed in principle to hold the postponed March SGM and June AGM online. We have sought advice from the Charity Commission because there is no constitutional provision for online meetings. We do urgently need to conclude the SGM process for dissolution and incorporation, as well as signing off the 2019 reporting year with the AGM.
In consultation with the Charity Commission they have agreed for us to proceed with an online solution given the extraordinary time we are in and with no definitive end in sight. We will now get busy and make arrangements to hold both postponed meetings sometime in October.
There will also be changes for membership benefits too. Trustees have taken the decision to suspend visits and events for the foreseeable future until such time as it is safe and appropriate to reintroduce them. We have no idea how long this will be but as and when events resume we will be guided by whatever restrictions are put in place, socially distanced or otherwise, by TNA. The visits programme will be very much dependent upon the situation at each venue and it may take some time to reorganise. Our primary concern is safety of all our members and from the chairman’s perspective I am in no hurry to undertake any activities until we are assured it is safe and reasonable to do so.
With this in mind the trustees have agreed to put a concerted effort into balancing the loss of visits and events with developing the website with more and varied content. This will include podcasts, articles, features and talks. There is a lot to do but we will do our best to develop the website as soon as possible. We will also enhance the magazine and will look to making the November edition slightly larger.
If anyone would like to help contribute to the enhanced website and / or the magazine then do get in touch. The more members contributing the better, as well as help with managing the Charity.
It is very much a case of all hands to the pump, even if it is only a digital one.