[cma-l] Notice of CMA AGM, 12 - 4pm 23rd February 2008, Sheffield

[Phil Shepherd]

In my role as Chair of Council, I have pleasure in inviting you to the 
CMA AGM to take place on 23 February 2008 between 12 noon and 4pm at 
Sheffield Live,  The Drum Community Media Centre, 6, Paternoster Row, 
Sheffield S1 2QQ (3 minute walk from railway station in central Sheffield).

The forthcoming AGM provides a moment to look back at sector 
achievements over the last few years.

- The success of the Community Radio Order
- The roll out of the new radio licences
- The new stations coming on air
- The delivery of the ERDF project providing advice, support and 
start-up funding for groups wanting to increase access to and use of ICT 
through community-based media projects for people in disadvantaged 
communities in South Yorkshire
- The Arts in Community Radio report co-commissioned with Arts Council 
England
- The Memorandum of Understanding with the BBC
- Early Day Motion in increased funding for the sector and the Digital 
Dividend Review
- The successful launch of Canstream
- The GetMedia programme exchange

We look forward to the challenges ahead.   These include securing a 
robust and accessible broadcasting infrastructure, raising our profile 
with decision makers and potential funders, embedding media literacy in 
mainstream education and training, and strengthening the regional 
networks of practitioners across the sector.  To offer maximum 
opportunity for you as members to get involved, plans are underway for a 
series of regional workshop-seminars through this year and a CMA 
national festival in early 2009.  We are also planning a Community Media 
Day to raise the profile of the sector in the wider communities.

Following the end of the ERDF funding stream our necessarily smaller 
staff team is gearing up for the road ahead.  In common with many other 
third sector bodies, our future will be one where we must derive more of 
our income from direct delivery of services, this shift reflecting the 
realities of available grant funding.  We are well on track with 
creating those income streams but we will still need of course to secure 
the balance of funds.  At time of writing we are in the advanced stages 
of negotiation with relevant departments, but with the necessary funds 
unconfirmed.

As the national community media co-ordinating body at the forefront of 
placing citizens’ voices at the heart of policy and regeneration across 
the UK, this uncertainty is far from satisfactory.  Our situation seems 
less surprising perhaps when we bear in mind the rigours of the 
government spending review and the resultant tightening of belts across 
both the statutory and voluntary sectors.

One thing is clear – government support permitting, the CMA has the 
experience, knowledge and contacts necessary to deliver the services 
needed, and to support the sector in the years to come.

I am personally very grateful for the continued support of my fellow 
members of Council during the year, as well as that of the staff led by 
Jaqui Devereux who have been through a difficult time and yet remained 
professional and committed throughout.

We all recognise as always that our greatest resource is you the 
membership – and we look to fully updating you at the AGM and to working 
more closely with you in the future.

Phil Shepherd
Chair of CMA Council