News from March 2010

This last weekend just over 100 members of SKIP met in Cardiff, hosted by the Cardiff branch of the Charity. Volunteers, Committee Members, National Committee and the Executive Board were all present for a weekend of idea sharing, workshops and presentations.

The atmosphere, as always, was electric. So many like minded people coming together to work towards the same ideals and goals will always create excitement, and rightly so. This excitement was increased by the esteemed guests who addressed the conference. Our patron, Professor Baroness Ilora Finlay and the Dean of Medicine at Cardiff Medical School, Paul Morgan, gave some inspiring words of encouragement and Professor Steve Allen from Swansea University spoke on “Where Children Die”. We are very grateful to them all.

The focus of the spring conference is to prepare attendees for their summer projects. This is done through workshops and plenary discussions, looking at key issues and important skills that volunteers will need to take on to project. The workshops covered themes such as collaborating with partners, sustaining interventions and using research to improve projects. Those that have attended the conference will be able to pass this knowledge on at training weekends taking place between the conference and the summer.

A lot is made from breaks between sessions, branches meet with their national committee branch buddies to discuss feedback about their documents outlining plans for the summer. Networking time gives time for branches to share ideas, share support and spread knowledge and materials. Of course it also allows people from branches as far away as Southampton and Glasgow to meet and get to know each other, something aided by the social held on the Saturday night.

To facilitate idea sharing, to give a sense of belonging to something larger than each branch’s individual efforts and just to be a little bit nosy, each branch delivers a report on their progress over the recent months and what they plan to do in the near future. It is always great to see what innovative and interesting ideas each branch has for their projects, fundraising and training.

Once all of this had happened, the curtain was called on an incredible weekend, leaving those who attended with a great sense of achievement and purpose, prepared to take on the opportunities and challenges they are sure to be presented with both before and during the projects taking place around the world this summer.