WAY’s 2024 AGM

September 2024

More than 75 WAY members headed to Crewe on 21 September to take part in the charity’s AGM and Annual Gathering at the Crewe Hall Hotel and Spa in the heart of the Cheshire countryside.

An additional 41 members also joined the AGM online to participate in the business section of the day.

As well as hearing updates from WAY’s Chief Executive Stephanie Patrick, Chair Jo Sedley-Burke, WAY members also heard from:

●      WAY Ambassador Selina Flavius, who talked about her experiences as a young widow and what led her to set up the financial coaching company Black Girl Finance

●      Emma Bayin from Shared Harmonies, who spoke about the importance of mindset and community through an engaging and interactive session for all attendees.

WAY members also got to enjoy some fun breakout sessions including cocktail making, candle creating, sound healing and art therapy workshops – as well as dancing the night away at a dinner dance that’s become quite a WAY tradition.

We also announced the winners of our annual awards. Read about our two annual awards 

And we displayed the 1,000 paper swans that were created by WAY volunteer Griffyn as part of our Summer of Swans. 

One of our members, Ellie, wrote the following words after attending the AGM: 

“For anybody who doesn’t go to events, hasn’t been to an AGM and is too frightened to attend things on your own.... just do it!.... I’ve been to my first event, which was the AGM so basically threw myself into a room full of 75 people who all seemed to know each other (they didn’t, that was just me projecting my insecurities) ... and I have had the best weekend since my partner died. I honestly stopped a few times through the night to look at everybody dancing and thought, ‘Wow... I think I’ve met my people’.” 

Appointment of Charity Trustees

Since its inception as a membership charity in 1997, WAY has arranged its AGMs in different locations around the UK. This enables WAY members to attend and get involved with the charity’s AGM decisions, as well as enjoying the social side that follows.

AGMs are not only important from a governance perspective, but they also provide a platform for WAY members to share their views and ask questions to ensure transparency. This helps to make sure that the charity is being run in the best interest of its members. 

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At each Annual General Meeting, WAY trustees retire from office when they have served a three-year term of office. They may stand for re-election and can serve for up to 9 years.  

●      Mike Etherington stood for reappointment and was re-elected. 

●      Graham Briscoe resigned from the board following six years’ service as an external WAY Trustee.

●      The appointments of WAY members Gary McFarlane, Sarah Bowsher and Nadir Keshani, who were all co-opted onto the Board this year, were ratified.  

Convening an AGM is a legal requirement for all charities. Find out more about why WAY holds an AGM here.

A copy of the WAY Annual Report for 2023 can be found here