The 70th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Civil Service Pensioners’ Alliance (CSPA) will be held in The Chesford Grange Hotel, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 2LD on Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 October 2024, commencing at 2.00pm on Wednesday and concluding at 3.00pm on Thursday. Three Copies of the AGM Booklet, containing the Report and Recommendations of the Standing Orders
Committee are enclosed for your attention.
In accordance with the Constitution, your Group is entitled to send one delegate to the AGM. All candidates standing for election to the Executive Council and not attending the AGM as a delegate will also have their expenses met. The AGM has been arranged to be held over two days and an AGM Dinner will be provided. The CSPA has, therefore, block booked the Hotel for all delegates, sponsored representatives, observers, and guests who wish to attend. In order that the Hotel can organise the necessary accommodation and dining arrangements, CSPA HQ must know who will
be attending the AGM by Wednesday 4 September 2024. CSPA HQ will be making the booking arrangements directly with the Hotel.
A hot buffet lunch will be available for all attending from 12.30pm on Wednesday and again on Thursday lunchtime. Tea and biscuits will be available when the AGM finishes at 3.00pm on Thursday.
Enclosed with this Circular are the following forms, which should be completed and returned to CSPA HQ by no later than Wednesday 4 September 2024; guidance on how Groups & Branches should complete these forms is appears later in the Circular:
- Delegate/Accommodation Booking Form
- Shuttle Bus and Return Coach Service Request Form
Also enclosed are the following:
- Expenses Claim Form (if received by 27 th September payment is to be made before the AGM).
- Menu choices
- Expenses Claim Form (if reveived by 27th September payment is to be made before the AGM)
- Directions to the Chesterford Grange Hotel
- Hotel Floor Plan
- A list of Groups & Branches and their membership figures
- Hotel Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan Form (to be completed and returned to CSPA by anyone requiring assistancein the event of an emergency evacuation)
- AGM Guidance for New Delegates
SPONSORED REPRESENTATIVES
The Civil Service Insurance Society (CSIS) have kindly agreed to continue to support CSPA by roviding sponsorship for the AGM. The CSIS sponsorship is used to support the Sponsored epresentative scheme, and the Executive Council is keen that the scheme should continue but has ad to consider what can be offered within the limits of the sponsorship we have benefitted from again this year.
Groups will continue to be able to send a second representative as a Sponsored Representative but will be charged a contribution to the hotel costs and, for 2024, this has been set at £70 to reflect the increase in accommodation costs. Where a Sponsored Representative arrives on Tuesday and stays two nights, a further charge will be applied for the additional night. The charge for two nights will be £117.
Travel costs for Sponsored Representatives are no longer met from central funds, and Groups or individuals will need to meet the travel costs of a Sponsored Representative, however they are welcome to make use of the coach provided between Coventry Station and the venue if they wish to.
Three copies of this Circular are enclosed: one for your records, one for your Group/Branch delegate and a spare.
CSPA MEMBERS FROM AREAS NOT COVERED BY OPEN GROUPS OR BRANCHES ATTENDING THE AGM AS INDIVIDUALS
Individual members have always been able to attend the CSPA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) but have had to meet their own costs. The AGM has been residential since 2002, which means that these costs can be significant. The EC has now reviewed this policy, as it recognises that many members are no longer covered by the Groups and Branches who can send delegates to the meeting.
The EC has agreed that a limited number of members who are not covered by a Group or Branch can attend the AGM at a subsidised rate of £70 for an en suite room on the Wednesday night. This ncludes all meals and accommodation in a single room. If no overnight stay is needed, the day rate is £18 per day which includes lunch, teas and coffees, but does not include the evening meal. Travel costs are not included, although the free shuttle coach from Coventry station to the venue at Kenilworth is available if required, and attendees are encouraged to avail themselves of this service.
Any member not covered by a Group or Branch who is interested in coming to the AGM
on 9/10 October should contact CSPA Head Office (phone 020 8688 8418 or email:
enquiries@cspa.co.uk There is limited availability for these places. Members who attend will be able to vote and participate fully in the AGM.
This arrangement is for this year only and the EC will review it for future AGMs. If any member is unsure whether they are covered by a Group or Branch, CSPA HQ will be able to advise.
TELLERS
The EC is seeking four volunteers to act as Tellers during the AGM. Their role will be to count any votes that are taken inside the meeting room and, if a card vote is taken, to collect the cards. They will work under the direction of the Chief Teller.
Tellers are AGM officials, so their expenses will be met in full. Tellers cannot be either Group or Branch representatives. If Groups or Branches know of anyone interested in being a Teller, please let HQ know by 4 September. If there are more than four volunteers, the Standing Orders Committee will decide who to accept.
VENUE
A map showing the location of The Chesford Grange Hotel is included with this Circular. Those travelling by car can use the Hotel car park. There will be sufficient space, with car parking free for hotel guests. If travelling by train, the CSPA has again planned for a shuttle-bus service to take delegates to and from Coventry Station, further details of which are later in this Group Circular.
Most delegates should be able to reach Kenilworth by lunchtime on Wednesday, but the CSPA recognises that in some circumstances delegates may need to stay the night before, however not everyone who chooses to do this will be eligible to have the CSPA meet the cost of their stay. The criteria for the Tuesday night cost being at the CSPA’s expense are as follows:
a. AGM officials and HQ staff with duties on Wednesday morning.
b. EC members, Group/Branch representatives, and members not covered by a Group
or Branch, who either travel more than 150 miles or have a journey time of over four hours. Partners would also be included in these instances.
c. The EC recognise that there should be some flexibility in the proposed criteria, and that any attendee can make a case to the NT for accommodation on the Tuesday night if necessary.
Disabled access is provided throughout the Hotel. A plan of the ground floor, setting out the AGM venue, registration arrangements, buffet arrangements etc., is also included with this Circular.
Those, and only those, who would require assistance to evacuate in the event of an emergency are requested to complete the enclosed Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) form and return it to CSPA HQ with their Delegate Forms for noting and sharing with the hotel management. Personal details provided on these forms will not be maintained by either the hotel or CSPA HQ after the event and will be confidentially disposed of.
A short welcome briefing has been arranged, starting at 1.30pm on Wednesday 9 October 2024, for new delegates, so that CSPA AGM procedures can be explained to them. Further details will be issued in due course.
We have also enclosed a Guide for New Delegates which we hope will be helpful in informing and encouraging increased participation. Please arrive at the AGM in plenty of time to register and collect credentials, voting cards, ballot forms and copies of Supplementary Standing Orders Committee (SOC) Reports from the Registration Desk where CSPA HQ staff will be on hand to welcome you.
PLEASE DO NOT COMPLETE ANY OF YOUR BALLOT PAPERS UNTIL THE CHAIR HAS MADE THE APPROPRIATE ANNOUNCEMENTS AT THE AGM. (This is because the ballots are to be run consecutively and the results may alter the list of candidates for a subsequent ballot)
ACCOMMODATION
The CSPA has made arrangements with the Hotel to ensure that everyone who wishes to attend can be accommodated. Therefore, it is essential that the completed Delegate/Accommodation Booking Form is received by HQ as early as possible, but no later than Wednesday 4 September 2024, so that rooms can be reserved, and the catering arrangements organised as the Hotel will release unused rooms after that date.
If any member of your Group, for whom a booking at the Hotel will have been made, is subsequently unable, for whatever reason, to attend and for whom you are unable to find a replacement from within your Group, please ensure that you notify Marion McAuliffe or Benedetta Makanju at CSPA HQ as soon as possible as this will greatly assist the CSPA in dealing appropriately with the Hotel on such matters.
As the CSPA will make the booking arrangements directly with the Hotel, please do not contact the Hotel. You should indicate on the forms if there any special accommodation requirements. Any queries regarding accommodation and food should be made direct to Marion McAuliffe / Benedetta Makanju at CSPA HQ. marion.mcauliffe@cspa.co.uk / benedetta.makanju@cspa.co.uk
You may notice that this year the Delegate/Accommodation Booking Form includes a section requesting Emergency Contact Details. Although the provision of this information is not compulsory, we have recognised that many members attend the AGM on their own or may not be attending with someone else who has access to this information. All details supplied will be kept securely by HQ staff and only used in the event of a medical emergency. The information will be confidentially disposed of after the event and will not be retained by CSPA.
You will also find enclosed a separate form requesting the planned details of the arrival & departure times to and from Coventry Station for those from your Group or Branch travelling by rail; this information is required to ensure that the shuttle-bus service is aware of which persons will be travelling on each of the two departure times of, 11.00am and 12.30pm on Wednesday 9 October 2024 and returning to the rail station by coach the next day at 3.15pm and 4.00 pm. Please complete and return this form with the Delegate/Accommodation Booking Form for your Group or Branch.
We would strongly encourage you to use this service from and to Coventry station to avoid unnecessary expenditure, but if you are arriving outside these times, there is a taxi rank available at both Coventry and Kenilworth stations. Please note that Kenilworth station is not within walking distance of the hotel and has a limited train service.
We also wish to know if any CSPA members living locally are coming for the day(s), so that credentials can be arranged, and enough catering ordered for the buffet lunches. The day delegate rate (unless a Group delegate) is £18 per day, including lunch, teas and coffees, but not dinner in the evening.
Delegates will have to pay the Hotel for additional items such as newspapers, phone calls and drinks ordered. If you would prefer not to travel alone, and no one else is coming from your Group, why not contact a nearby Group and plan to travel with a colleague? If you are not familiar with other nearby Groups of the CSPA or the telephone numbers of the relevant Group Secretaries, or need help and advice, either contact your Regional Representative or CSPA HQ, who will endeavour to help. The CSPA’s aim is to make your travel and visit to the AGM as carefree as possible.
AGM CHARGES
There is no charge for Group delegates, EC members, AGM officials and invited CSPA guests. Full board costs will be met centrally, and any additional expenses can be claimed in line with the AGM T&S policy.
As before, charges will be applied to others attending the AGM. For 2024, those charges are:
- Sponsored Representatives (second Group representative): £70 (one night); £117 (two nights).
- Other Group representatives and observers: £150 (from Wednesday lunch to Thursday lunch inclusive); £260 for two nights.
-
Partners sharing a room: £50 per night.
Groups and individuals should NOT send in cheques with the form notifying their attendees. Instead, where a charge is appropriate, an invoice will be issued and payment should be made, where possible, by bank transfer into the CSPA account. The aim is to reduce bank costs and save staff time. The due date for payment will be Friday 25 October 2024.
Groups & Branches can send further additional representatives/observers to the AGM, if they wish, but expenses incurred by such additional representatives/observers will be the responsibility of the Groups & Branches. Additional representatives/observers can be accommodated in the Hotel, but Groups and Branches must pay the CSPA for such accommodation.
EXPENSES AND CLAIMS
Enclosed with this Group Circular is expenses claim form. Printed on the reverse of the form is the Travel and Subsistence Policy for the AGM 2024. When completed send the form and receipts to the National Treasurer, Mike Sparham, as follows:
Either Scan or photocopy the form and receipts and send by email to M.Sparham@cspa.co.uk
Or Post to FREEPOST RTRX-RKUY-SELT, CSPA, Grosvenor House, 125 High Street, Croydon CR0 9XP; marking the envelope AGM Expenses.
Forms received by 27 th September 2024 will be paid before the AGM. Payment will be made by bank transfer.
Completed forms with receipts may also be handed to the National Treasurer or HQ staff at the AGM, but no payments will be made at the AGM. The CSPA will meet all reasonable travel and subsistence expenses for EC members, HQ Staff, Group delegates, AGM officials and invited CSPA guests, as detailed on the reverse of the Expense Claim Form.
AGENDA AND PROCEDURE
Three copies of the text AGM Agenda Booklet are included with this Circular. (We are only able to forward three copies of the Agenda to Groups because of the cost and time delay involved in sending more).
The contents of the Agenda Booklet will also be included in the Autumn 2024 Issue 298 of The Pensioner, together with pen pictures of all candidates standing for election). Spare copies of the AGM Agenda Booklet will be available at the AGM.
The Summer 2024 Issue 297 of The Pensioner magazine featured the 2023 Annual Report and Accounts
Groups & Branches are reminded that if they wish to ask any questions on any paragraph of the Annual Report or move a Reference Back on any part of the Standing Orders Committee Report, they must write to me, with such requests being received by Monday 9 September 2024.
Emergency Motions, which can only refer to urgent business which has arisen since 5 July 2024 (the closing date for submission of motions), must be submitted to me as soon as possible, but to be received by no later than 2.00pm on Friday 4 October 2024.
Voting at the AGM (Rule 7(g) applies), in the first instance, will be by show of hands (in fact, by display of special laminated cards issued to delegates only), but if a card vote is sought by at least 20 members present, your delegate will cast the number of votes shown on your Group’s card votes, which will be handed to him/her on arrival, together with any ballot papers. This number is the number of fully paid-up members shown by the CSPA’s membership records to be resident in the stated area of the Branch or Group as of 30 June 2024, as provided in Rule 6(c) (i) & (ii).
A copy of the list of Groups & Branches and their membership figures is included with this Circular. Note – Members based in areas no longer covered by open Groups and Branches on the 30 June of the current year, who attend the AGM as individuals, are also entitled to vote and will be issued with voting cards on the basis of a single vote.
On arrival at the meeting, Group representatives and Members based in areas no longer covered by open Groups and Branches (attending the AGM as individuals) will be required to sign an attendance sheet and identification badges will be provided.
Any proposed amendments to the published Standing Orders Committee Report will be distributed to Group Secretaries, by way of a Supplementary Report, about a week before the meeting. (If this will cause an administrative problem because your Group delegate is not the Group Secretary, please advise HQ and arrangements will be made for a copy of the Supplementary Report to be sent direct to your delegate, whose address will need to be supplied).
Spare copies of such Supplementary Reports will be available at the AGM. I hope all delegates and representatives have a constructive and enjoyable AGM and I look forward to meeting you on the 9th and 10th October 2024.
Yours sincerely,
Sally Tsoukaris
General Secretary
