Choir's Future Strategy Presented to the Members

27 March 2007

Chairman David Trevis-Smith took some time to report to the members of the Choir ideas put forward by the recently formed Governance Group.

Following the workshop for Choir Members on future strategy, held in June 2006, a Governance Group was established by the Board, consisting of the Chairman, David Trevis Smith, the Vice Chairwoman, Hilary Wetherell, the General Secretary, Sue Ward and the treasurer, Mike Price. This group went through the outcomes of the workshop and, from September 2006 to February 2007 worked on ideas for future development. The progress to date is as follows:

• A first draft of the choir’s vision statement has been developed identifying our
• values
• long-term aim
• objectives - prioritised
• There are 9 strategic themes, which are -
• identifying our unique identity
• marketing the choir
• maintaining a balanced budget and minimising losses
• encouraging talent - young soloists, Voice Factory etc.
• maintaining membership
• fundraising
• partnership - other organisations, choirs etc.
• organisation - rehearsals, events etc.
• perform concerts
• To achieve this, the Board has agreed seven Groups tasked with taking these themes forward. Some are existing, some are new -
• Marketing
• Development
• Recruitment and membership
• Rehearsals
• Fundraising
• Programme planning
• Programme action/implementation

There will be no need to be a Board member to participate in any of the groups and choir members may be co-opted to contribute their skills to the groups.

The setting up of these groups is to be accompanied by a reduction in the size of the Board, which will mainly consist of a representative, normally the chair, of each group. These working groups are to be trialled to see how they work and the September Board meeting will review their operation.

The Board and the Groups will now be working towards a Business Plan for the choir.

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