ABSW: Funding now available for regional groups

The ABSW Executive Committee is setting aside funds to help establish regional groups for members outside of London.

A recent survey asked ABSW members where you would like to see ABSW events hosted. Overwhelmingly, people wanted to meet in London. But there was a strong call for events in Bristol, Cambridge, Oxford and Brighton. Other individuals requested events in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester/Leeds, and Ipswich.

There has already been one event, an informal pub meet-up, in Brighton and two further events are planned in Bristol and the North (details below).

The ABSW Executive Committee has a small pot of money available for regional members who organise events outside of London. The scheme aims to provide a service for the many members who find it hard to get to events in London. It's essentially an opportunity to have a few drinks and some networking on the ABSW's tab. Organisers of events can also use the funding to pay to invite guests or speakers.

A subsidy of £5 per paid up ABSW member is available per person attending an ABSW regional event. For any event you must let us know in advance that you are organizing it, and a minimum of four members must attend to qualify.

Payment is made in arrears, with the organizer invoicing the ABSW afterwards via Paypal or electronic transfer. We also request a few lines about the event for publishing here in The Science Reporter to help encourage future activities, and that organizers provide a list of members who attended.

The funding for regional events is capped at £300. I would estimate that a third of this is already accounted for, so there is plenty left. If members find this a useful service, the Committee will seek to make similar funds available again next year.

A list of ABSW Regional Coordinators is below. If you live in an area where there is no regional coordinator and would like to start a group up in your area and be put in contact with local members please email.

Natasha Loder
ABSW Chair


ABSW Regional Coordinators

Bristol
Hayley Birch

Brighton
Michael Kenward

Cambridge
Ben Vasler

North
Paula Gould


Regional meetings

ABSW Southwest
The next meeting of the Southwest regional group will be in Bristol at the King Bill, 7pm. Wednesday 16th September 2009.

ABSW North
Helen Gavaghan and Paula Gould are meeting for coffee at The Media Centre in Huddersfield (close to the railway station), at 11am on Monday 7th September. All full and associate members are invited to join for the inaugural meeting of ABSW in the North. The Media Centre is at 7 Northumberland Street, Huddersfield and is only a few minutes walk from the railway station.

ABSW: Local groups for local people

New regional groups are springing up around the country, helping to drag the ABSW outside of London.

While London-based events are convenient for those of us living here, the ABSW comprises members from all over the UK, many of whom are far from the capital. One of the main targets of the Executive Committee this year is to make the ABSW as useful as possible for all its members, regardless of geography.

The most active regional group at the moment is the South-West branch, which currently caters for around 15 members based in or around Bristol. They’ve enjoyed several meet-ups already, and have another planned for 21 May at the Bristol Festival of Ideas. Anyone interested in attending this or future events with this groups should contact Hayley Birch).

We have coordinators in place for several other regions, and all we need now is people to get these groups off the ground.

Mike Kenward is gauging interest in lunchtime meetings for members based in or near Brighton. If you’re Oxford-based, Richard Scrase is your point of contact. He’s planning a monthly pub meeting for starters.

Tony Jones has agreed to coordinate a North Wales group. Helen Gavaghan is our Northern England coordinator.

There has been a bit of a muted response from Scotland-based ABSW members on the ABSW-L so far, but James Urquhart is eager to get some activities going north of the border.

Whatever you fancy doing – whether meeting in a local pub over a few pints, visiting a museum, exhibition or event, or even holding an ABSW briefing in your area – get in touch with your regional coordinator and help make it happen! No group in your area? Contact me to get something started.

Chrissie Giles
ABSW’s Regional Groups Coordinator