Dear Member,

I hope you and your families and friends are well and safe. From reading the latest membership newsletter I know that many of you have been volunteering to support members and beneficiaries who need help in these difficult times – it’s been amazing to read all the wonderful stories about branch activities in the local community.

Behind the scenes the Membership team have been working hard on key membership projects even though the offices remain closed. I’m very happy to inform you that we are now ready to implement the single membership fee rule, meaning that members who belong to more than one branch do not need to pay any additional membership fees.

In order to regulate governance rights of members who want to belong to more than one branch, Board of Trustees and the Membership Council have agreed to introduce the following rules:

1. The maximum amount of branches a member can belong to at the same time is four.

2. An individual, who is a member of multiple branches, is not allowed to be nominated as a Conference delegate by more than one branch.

We have also launched a new facility where members who have cancelled or not renewed their membership in the past do not need to submit a new application – our Membership Helpline agents are now able to instantly reinstate their previous membership. Additionally, members who are no longer eligible can easily cancel their Gift Aid online via the self-service portal.

These are great improvements to our services, but this particular project isn’t over yet. We are continuing to develop new systems and improve existing processes to ensure our data is correct and up to date with the aim to ensure that members receive the best service. Please share this message with your branches.

Thank you for your continued support and stay safe.

Jason

Jason Coward

Trustee and Chairman of the Membership Council