NORTH-WEST REGIONAL NEWSLETTER – 22 AUGUST 2023

Dear All,

Well, I’m pleased to say that the switch from BT to Hotmail seems to have been a success, so this email will be sent to you using my Hotmail account.

I have attached GC 941 to this Newsletter (available on CSPA Website) which gives information about this year’s AGM.  If anyone wishes to attend as a sole delegate, you can do so by referring to the paragraph ‘’CSPA MEMBERS FROM AREAS NOT COVERED BY OPEN GROUPS OR BRANCHES ATTENDING THE AGM AS INDIVIDUALS’’, which can be found on page 2 of the General Circular.  This would be at a personal cost of £70 or £117 for two nights.  An alternative way of attending the AGM at nil cost to yourself, would be to volunteer as a Teller- full details on page 3.  HQ are looking for 4 Tellers, whose costs will be fully met by the CSPA.  Applications either way must be received no later than Wednesday 6 September 2023, but the sooner the better, if you want to stand the best chance of going.

I have also attached a copy of next month’s Pensioner, a copy of which you will receive by post sometime in September (see PDDF version on Website).

I may come up a bit short with communication over the next two months, as very selfishly, I am going on a 28-day cruise to Canada, leaving on 23 September and not returning until 17 October, and yes that means I will miss the AGM, which is not very good of me.  The only excuse I can give is that I booked it 12 months ago when an offer I couldn’t refuse was made and I didn’t think it out properly, but I’m sure they’ll manage without me.

I have been suggesting for some time that I was going to attempt to re-open the closed Groups, that is:  Blackpool and Fylde, Cumbria, East Lancashire, Morecombe Bay and Preston and Chorley.  Unfortunately, the way the new data system for memberships has been altered to now, does not make this easy.  All members who do not belong to an active group are now grouped together and shown as members of Northwest Region or Midlands Region, so extracting a Group members list is no longer an easy task, although you can do it by the postcode.  There is also the matter of the cost, as sending an invitation to a meeting via post for over 1000 members is very costly.  I also, must admit that there has not been any great push from members to try and re-start the Groups.  But I do not intend to be defeated, I will be publishing in the next issue of the Pensioner (due December), as well as the email system, a series of ‘’come and meet me meetings’’, to gauge the interest in either re-starting your Group or to run a series of Regional Meetings.

HARRY BRETT