A Message from Group Executive Director, Theresa Morrissey
The objective of the Governance Review is to ensure the Society's structure is fit for purpose and fit for the future; to facilitate sustainability and ensure that the Society's actual operations reflect its purposes.
Since its inception in May, the Governance Steering Group has met six times. The Group has consulted with our legal team on the key components of good governance and critically appraised the four structural options available to the Society. To assist with this process, the Group was delighted to meet with representatives of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society to learn about their experience as a charitable company limited by guarantee. I have also engaged with several Royal Agricultural Societies regarding the impact of their governance structures.
The Governance Steering Group Chairman, Dr Keith Agnew, and I recently delivered a presentation at October’s Council meeting. It provided Council with an assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of each available structural option and explained the factors the Group considered when determining its preferred option. The restructuring of the Society will be a significant legal and structural change. This carefully managed process will take into account legal, regulatory, and stakeholder considerations, underlining the importance of these proposed changes. Council is currently evaluating the Group's proposal and further updates will be communicated to members in due course.
The Society is deeply committed to engaging with its members as it progresses through this review. It highly values its members' input and is acutely aware of the importance of developing a governance structure that encourages participation from the next generation.
We eagerly anticipate and greatly value your involvement in this important process.
Theresa Morrissey
Group Executive Director, Royal Ulster Agricultural Society
