FSA members met on Saturday 23rd March at Spitalfields City Farm, London, between 1pm and 2pm for the annual general meeting. 7 directors attended and 1 other FSA member attended in addition to FSA staff.

Lily Horseman (Chair) presented the annual report and Jon Cree (treasurer) presented the annual accounts. The board responded to questions from the floor. Proxy questions had been invited from FSA members but none had been submitted.

2019 full annual report

Members in attendance at the AGM, who had not already voted, had the opportunity to do so before the results of the election were calculated and reported.

36 eligible members voted in the election for new directors. All candidates received greater than 50% of the vote and were duly election on to the board.

Number of eligible voters = 1272
Number of voters = 36
Election turnout = 2.8% (1.9% in 2018, 8.2% in 2016, 9.5% in 2015, 9% in 2014, 12% in 2013)

Election turnout was again reduced compared to previous years. The same voting format has been employed for the last two years (previously the AGM was held during the national conference, which boosted the number of voters in attendance). The fact that there were fewer candidates than there were vacant positions on the board, and that the candidates were all incumbents, may have also influenced members’ motivation to vote.

There are pros and cons to combining the AGM with the national conference. Doing so gives more members the chance to vote in person and to ask the board questions face to face but it also creates a huge peak in workload for the organisation. Holding the AGM at a mid point in the year allows the board to meet face to face for a strategy/board meeting and gives members an additional opportunity to meet or ask questions of the board (either in person or via email). The down side is that, it seems, fewer members are willing to engage with a stand alone AGM and electronic vote. Having a formal spot during the conference for members to talk to the FSA board seems like  a good compromise.

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