Open Members Meeting
All welcome
30 September 2024~ 11:00 to 13:00
To be held at St Sidwells Community Centre, Sidwell Street, Exeter, EX4 6NN
Located after the block of shops starting with John Lewis
Hi – come and meet your friendly committee and have your say on the CSPA annual report and the Annual General Meeting (AGM) agenda. The reports were included with your recent Pensioner magazines, Summer – annual report, Autumn – AGM agenda. If you are unable to attend and have questions, comment or experience on the annual report, motions or elections that you would like Clive to consider when attending the AGM in October, please let him know by 25 September 2024
The East Devon CSPA annual general meeting was held in March and re-elected your Committee for a further year, and vacancies for committee members remain unchanged. It would be nice to see more members involved to obtain a broader view on the positive and negative of services, finance etc that affect those in later life.
Membership and involvement continue to fall with further closures of groups across the Nations and the South West. The remaining active members, to include those in recent closed groups, have come together in an attempt to find a way forward. The world is changing on how we communicate and participate as individuals to interface with organisations so we urgently seek views from all members and particularly those below seventy in how they envisage or would like to see the CSPA organisation of the future. Write, phone or email Clive who has included more information on this matter over the pages. Please let us know.
| CSPA East Devon Committee for 2022/2023 –Chairman: Les Calder, 33 Rendells Meadow, Bovey Tracy, TQ13 9QW. Tel: 01626 830266. email: landmcalder@btinternet.comTreasurer: Barbara Roberts, 25 The Rockstone, Exeter Road, Dawlish. EX7 0RX. Tel: 01626 927352Secretary: Clive Roberts, 3 Connaught View, Sidmouth, EX10 8FJ. Tel: 07541 246 576 email: clive.dee.roberts@talk21.comMembership Secretary: Phil Roberts, 25 The Rockstone, Exeter Road, Dawlish. EX7 0RX. Tel: 01626 927352Member: Colin Passey, 23 Cornlands, Sampford Peverell, Tiverton, Devon EX16 7UA. Tel: 07503 123022Member: Barbara Farrell, 35 Newcombe Street, Exeter, EX1 2TG, Tel: 01392 424691Vacancies (4) |
Les Calder
Chairman /NEC South West, Regional Representative
Recruiting New Members
Membership numbers continue to fall across CSPA at a faster rate than we can recruit, so we need to get CSPA talked about in the workplace.
In recent years we have been assured by the Treasury Office that it is acceptable for the literature for CSPA to be handed to those, who have pension rights, on their leaving or retiring from the civil service. That is the issue – how do we get it to them?
Clearly we now need to get the CSPA recruitment documents into the workplace. If you are in contact with the relevant department that manage departures or someone in the work (Union?) who is willing to be a champion for CSPA by holding and passing on the recruitment packs which are available from Head Office or via us. Please contact them and ask if they can help.
We are never too Old
On the news over the August bank holiday there was the young lady of 102 years old taking a sky dive. Who at the age of 100 was on the track at Silverstone, she is not alone in being active in later years.
Sikh – Fauja Singh
When it comes to role models in sport, no one is more admirable than Fauja Singh. The oldest marathon runner in the world and Ilford based long-distance sportsman didn’t take up running until he reached the grand age of 89. He ran his first marathon when he turned 90 and continued to run until he reached 100.
John Starbrook
The oldest competitor at the London Marathon in 2016 and 2018 (which he competed in at the age of 85 and 87 respectively), it’s hard to think of a better ambassador for Age UK than Starbrook, who has spent his middle and elder years proving that older people shouldn’t be counted out when it comes to keeping fit and pushing their boundaries.
“A lot of people seem to think that when they hit 50, they’re ‘old’,” he says. “I hear that and I don’t know what they’re talking about. I’d never run before but I did my first marathon at 53. A lot of it is in the mind. I’ve had people say they couldn’t possibly do this or that because they’re too old, but they’re younger than my son. When I tell people about what I’ve done they’ve gone on to take up jogging and even do marathons afterwards. That is success. Getting somebody else to do something when they think they’re past it is huge to me.”
NHS Fitness:
In 2019 the four (National) UK Chief Medical Officers signed the Physical Activity Guidelines which recognised the benefits of muscle, bone-strengthening and balance training activities underpin physical function, particularly later in life.
The following is paraphrased from the Guidelines which is available through a web search using the following – UK Chief Medical Officer Physical Activity Guideline.
There is no minimum amount of physical activity required to achieve some health benefits. Specific targets below the recommended levels – such as aiming to do at least 10 minutes at a time – can be effective as a behavioural goal for people starting from low levels of activity (including disabled adults and those with long-term conditions), and as a step on the journey towards meeting the recommended levels set out in the guidelines.
Small bouts (i.e. of fewer than 10 minutes) accumulated over the day and week will also provide benefits.
It is recommended that people are active every day. Spreading activity across the day or week can help make the guidelines achievable within daily living; for example, walking, wheeling or cycling for daily travel is often the easiest way to get physically active.
When undertaking muscle strengthening activities, it is important to work all the major muscle groups.
Bone strengthening involves moderate and high impact activities to stimulate bone growth and repair.
Strengthening activities are important to maintain strength in adulthood; and to delay the natural decline in muscle mass and bone density which occurs from around 50 years of age.
Editor – Summing up – We are given a opportunity to live longer, so we need to get it right (don’t push if it is too hard as there is always another week) and if we do get it right we are able to enjoy life and hopefully help the NHS by needing less medical intervention.
Demise of groups
Sadly across England and Wales CSPA some twelve Groups have closed in the last twelve months leaving more members without representation. Given this is a members led organisation there is a need to radically rethink how members are represented and have their vote counted.
In the South West region there are now only three of the past thirteen Groups that now have a committee who have come together with active members from recent closed groups in an attempt to work out what changes we can make to ensure that the member voice is heard in the future.
Thinking of the group representation at the CSPA Annual General meeting (AGM) the present arrangement is for one person from each group to be funded to attend and speak/vote on behalf of their group. Where a group is not represented at the AGM then the vote of that group is not counted.
So what options that we know of and can consider ensuring all members get a voice and a vote?
- Reopen closed groups: This requires a minimum of three people from the Group to meet at least twice a year – March, – local AGM business and to consider any motions for submission in July. – September to discuss the AGM agenda and agree the vote for the AGM. One member will be funded to attend the AGM
For: There is no standard Group as they all operate differently to meet local needs, so it can be formed from existing small group of members (coffee morning) who already meet locally. – Funds, guidance and support will be given from HQ and the region.
Against: A single funded delegate. – Only active group members vote count. – it is likely that it would be prohibitive in financial cost of CSPA central funds for increasing delegates to attend the National AGM, given the reduction of income in recent years. Larger groups:
Formed by amalgamating the closed groups with their nearest operating group.
For: All members vote count – Access to a relatively local committee – Consideration of a future change of constitution so that more members may be funded to attend AGM without pressure to take part. –Bath has closed this year and joined Bristol after other regions had joined groups.
Against: Distance to meetings will result in little change in attendance at meetings or being active. – Difficulty in determining how to involve and be accessible to all members.
- Regional group:
This will be an similar to that for larger groups and this will result in our case all the groups of the South West joining together.
For: Additional to that stated above for the larger groups – Our present Regional Representatives on the Executive Council would have a stronger voice as they will then speak on behalf of the region. – Individuals or less formal groups from around the region feeding direct into the regional committee.–consideration of changes to the constitution that allow for a funded regional delegation (say four?) to attend the AGM creating more diversity in debate and support for delegate.
Against: Less accessible to members unless they have internet ability and access given that meetings are likely to be hybrid in person/screened meetings.
- England & Wales Branch: Just asingle committee covering the two Nations.
For: Additional to that stated above for Regional groups. This is how the presentScotland & Northern Ireland Branches are structured.
Against: Additional to that stated above for Regional groups. – Likely this will move from a member lead organisation to a centrally lead organisation. Involvement of members reduced.
- Do nothing: Accept the present situation.
For: Have change forced upon us. This is a “Not our problem solution” where we who are active ignore the issues and achieve what we can until we are no longer active. – Less issues to resolve for the active members on committees.
Against: Be at the forefront of change and have the ability to help direct that change to the advantage of the member.
Consideration is being given to this issue at all levels of CSPA and there are a few motions in the AGM that will be debated with this in mind.
In the short term there is a need to make changes to ensure fair representation of members in the climate of reduced active members. Our preferred option is –
- Open closed groups by seeking three individual from the group to form a future committee that are identified by the end of October so they can participate in change.
Failing that
- To amalgamate closed groups to their nearest committee led group
- To review the present group(s) and national constitutions so that they reflect changes made and how it will affect members.
If you have experience or wish to comment on any article in the newsletter we would appreciate your time in bringing it to our notice.
Your views matter.
Live your life forget
your age
Albert Einstein
