“CoR - The Way Forward” AGM 2024
CoR – The Way Forward
Monday 13th to Wednesday 15th May 2024
Facilitated by Sarah Broscombe
Kents Hill Park Milton Keynes
The main focus of the AGM was CoR – The Way Forward, and this theme was expertly threaded throughout the AGM by the facilitator, Sarah Broscombe. Sarah worked with the AGM planning committee in terms of the overall organising of the conference, and having also previously facilitated CoR’s 2023 AGM, Sarah was very aware of the ground to be covered which enabled greater continuity for attendees and for CoR’s direction of travel going forward.
Introduction and Support Meeting for New Leaders
The main order of business on the first morning was the meeting with the new leaders who had identified themselves during registration and CoR’s new leadership team. This meeting was able to provide new leaders with helpful insights into their new leadership roles. It also highlighted the difficulties and pressures they may face, and ensuring they were aware of the support and assistance available from CoR on their new journeys in the often-difficult area of leadership.
On Monday afternoon, Sarah Broscombe and the CoR leadership team opened the AGM by setting out the context in relation to CoR’s performance over the past year and where they are at this present day.
This included all the staff changes and other factors that have necessitated important change for this organisation and many others. It touched on the difficulties in maintaining regular and adequate contact with Members with a depleted staff group and noted how this had negatively affected our Members. It may also have led to some congregations understandably not wishing to renew their Membership with CoR. Part of the challenge is now to ensure everyone knows that CoR is back up and running, with a new staff group and new vision for the future.
This included working through leadership models that were specific to our own congregations, leading collaboratively and leading with safeguarding in mind. Members were also provided with CoR’s leadership model with a presentation from Sr Margaret Donovan.
Sarah Broscombe ensured that each of the below areas were cleverly woven across the three days which enabled attendees to work in small groups, thinking critically and deeply, whilst conversing with each other about how Religious life really feels for them today, including all the realities and challenges, both nationally and internationally.
· Maintaining vs Attuning: ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’?
This provided all with the chance to explore and discuss leadership styles. Giving them the space to think through issues of maintaining their core purpose in very challenging circumstances, and the need to carry on, despite the challenges. There was lots of group work which provided them with the space to think and share the many shared concerns in Religious life today.
· Success vs Fruitfulness: what is already working?
This session provided attendees with an arena to share what has been going well for them across all the multifaceted areas of Religious life. With so many participants from various countries, it was a wonderful opportunity for sharing, understanding, and celebrating where clearly the importance of their work has had great success.
· More personal “what happens next”? What are we being asked to live now?
This session was able to give the time and space required for people to get in touch with their own, very personal journeys, and to reflect on the now but also the future; the level of resilience required in their roles and the support mechanisms available to them.
Working in these small groups, ensured participants were able to get the most out of each days’ sessions, in a very collegiate way. It became very clear that despite the differences faced by each congregation, there are very many similarities between them, which they enjoyed discussing, analysing and sharing thoughts on good practice, including what has worked well and what has not gone quite so well.
Membership Voting for retention of current leadership model
Sarah Dobson CJ presented information on CoR’s current leadership structure confirming that the shared leadership group is comprised of Cath Lloyd RSCJ, Sarah Dobson CJ, Anne Morris DHS, Jen Bromham IBVM and Richard Reid CssR.
This group is supported by the following co-opted Members; Monica Matthews SHCJ, Jane Maltby RSCJ, Margaret Donovan HC and Anglican Representative
Sr Sue Berry CSF. The whole leadership team is supported and assisted by the Secretariat.
Sarah Dobson also informed the Members that Cath Lloyd is stepping down from the Executive at the end of this AGM due to external congregational commitments. This prompted the Executive to write to the Members on 18th April 2024 asking if anyone felt able to commit to joining the CoR Board, initially for one year, and the following people have generously put their names forward to be on the Board; Sr Ann Sullivan SP, Sr Mary Deane PBVM and Sr Margo Murphy RNDM. The CoR Statutes state we can have a total of 12 Members on the Executive and the above arrangement provides us with 11, which is an excellent way forward.
Sarah Dobson and Cath Lloyd provided an overview and explained how difficult it had been to find an appropriate leader who had capacity to take on the specific role of President at CoR. After much discussion in the room, it was clear this situation was echoed across many of the congregations represented at the AGM, with potential burn out identified as a key contributor to difficulties appointing to this role.
They laid out clearly how the new experimental model of leadership is working in practice, as we move towards a new governance structure. It was noted there are now three Members sharing the previous role of President, Sarah Dobson CJ, Anne Morris DHS and Monica Matthews SHCJ. The Executive also no longer differentiates between Executive Members and co-opted Members, all are now part of the full Executive team working together to lead CoR. This new model with Members of the Executive sharing roles, lessening the load on individuals, whilst ensuring the needs of the Members are being appropriately met, whilst also enabling Members of the Executive to work on specific areas of CoR’s work including the Finance Sub-Group and Health Care Sub-Group which are now both up and running again.
The Members were invited to vote by a show of hands, regarding their approval for CoR’s above new leadership model to continue for a further 12 months, and this was unanimously agreed, with 86 votes and no abstentions.
CoR Safeguarding Updates
Una Coogan provided a very detailed update on current safeguarding issues and processes. There were many questions from the room which Una responded to and in the interest of time, some of the questions were held over for the representatives of RLSS to answer in their presentation which followed. Una invited Members to be in touch with her directly for any support or guidance in relation to managing safeguarding, including what is, and what isn’t, a safeguarding issue.
RLSS Safeguarding Updates
There were three representatives from RLSS who provided the RLSS update: Dani Wardman, departing CEO, Mellisa Andrews new CEO and Anne O’Brien, the RLSS Chair.
Anne O’Brien introduced the Members to the outgoing and incoming CEO’s of RLSS and briefly outlined what RLSS provides in relation to all areas of safeguarding.
Dani Warman briefly mentioned the recent issues in relation to the CSSA before handing over to the incoming CEO, Melissa Andrews. Melissa introduced herself and provided a brief overview of the plans for RLSS’s future work.
Tuesday Evening - Coming Together
The AGM remains a great place for Members to come together. The daily prayers provided an invaluable quiet time for thoughts and reflection, and the provision of Mass each day gave space for all to pray together, culminating with the Papal Nuncio celebrating Mass on the second day of the AGM.
Following this Mass, CoR hosted a gala dinner, at which Cath Lloyd formally acknowledged and thanked Amanda Francis for all her years of service, massive contribution, and support with CoR, and presented her with a beautiful floral arrangement in gratitude.
There was also a rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ for Dani Wardman, celebrating her birthday at the AGM.
This dinner was held in a private dining area and enabled participants to unwind, socialise and interact with each other, which was encouraged by a randomised seating allocation. The dinner was a huge success and was enjoyed by all attendees including the Papal Nuncio and his assistant who joined the Members for this special meal.
On the last day of the AGM the Members were provided with an update and option to adopt CoR’s annual accounts, presented by Amanda Francis. This was followed by several presentations including an update from the Collaboration Project Workshops and CoR’s Secretariat.
Introducing the Collaboration Workshops
Jane Maltby, Margaret Donovan, and Jen Bromham provided Members with an overview of the very successful series of collaboration workshops that have already taken place and the planned workshops ahead.
The following two workshops took place in London and were extremely well attended averaging 65 plus attendees at each:
· New/innovative leadership & ways of organising ourselves. 7th March 2024
· Change management. Friday 12th April
The next two workshops will take place in Birmingham in an effort not to be too London centric and provide more choice for Members.
· Charity governance, civil law, and Canon law. 6th June 2024
· Financial and property management and planning. 27th June 2024
· A further two workshops are planned for the autumn covering Elder Care (September) and Archives & Legacy (October), details of which will be shared with Members as soon as the date and venues are confirmed.
Feedback from the workshops to date has been excellent and Members have found them both helpful and enjoyable. It was agreed the original invitation letter regarding the Collaboration Workshop information, including the booking response form, would be sent to all AGM attendees.
COR Annual Accounts – Formal Adoption
The final day of the AGM provided Members with the chance to hear about CoR’s annual accounts and current financial position. Amanda Francis from Buzzacotts, provided an extremely clear and detailed overview of CoR’s accounts, which were confirmed as financially healthy and in a good position.
Questions were invited from the audience and the Members were invited to formally adopt the accounts. All Members unanimously agreed to formally adopt CoR’s annual accounts with no abstentions.
Introducing the new Secretariat
Susan Thomas’s presentation introduced the newly established, small but stable Secretariat, led by Susan Thomas (General Secretary), Irene Henderson (Administration) and temporary support from Charlotte Vassallo (Communications).
This structure has been approved by the Executive for an initial 12 months and will then be reviewed again. Susan Thomas provided an overview of the Secretariat’s priorities for the coming 12 months including to:
• Re-establish regular communication with Membership.
• Listen and respond to requests for information and advice in a timely way.
• Support and work directly with the Executive.
• Support Executive sub-groups including finance and health care.
• Organise key meetings.
• Provide workshops and advice to Members on issues they are dealing with.
• Update the website and IT systems (moving to Cloud-based IT).
• Manage the office relocation from Euston Square.
• Change working practices to ensure best use of limited funds.
• Ensure robust relationships and working arrangements are in place with key partners.
Susan also took a moment to inform Members and to congratulate Dr Irene Henderson (Hon) for being awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex and the Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust, for her years of work in the field of clinical governance, racial and disability equality, and social inclusion. Susan presented Irene with a beautiful floral bouquet and Irene thanked everyone for their kind congratulations.
The perfect end to an excellent AGM
The Mass on the final day felt like a fitting end to a very successful AGM.
Following this, there was a clear and audible buzz around the room with many participants providing immediate feedback of satisfaction and enjoyment on a very useful and fruitful conference.
It was agreed that all handouts and presentations would be shared electronically with the attending Members as well as CoR’s full Membership.