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Yorkshire CND 2025 AGM

Location: Brian Jackson House, Huddersfield, HD1 5JP

Date: 18th January 2025

Times: 1-4pm

1pm – Light refreshments and socialising

1:30pm –  Talk + Q&A with Steve Barwick (key notes)

  • Steve is a representative of the Nuclear education trust
  • What should the strategic defense review say about nuclear disarmament? The short answer – it should at least mention nuclear disarmament. Currently, there is a high risk of it not saying anything about nuclear disarmament at all
  • Nuclear taboo is eroding → fear of use, threshold is lowering
  • Arms control agreements being ripped up
  • An important report by Dr Tim Street was released last year: http://nucleareducationtrust.org/the-future-for-uk-defence-diplomacy-and-disarmament-50-proposals-for-a-more-peaceful-world/
  • Given what Trump has said about Ukraine, a lot of people think a balance could be Ukraine accepting the new borders but they join NATO. From NET’s perspective, there should be a demilitarised, nuclear-free zone
  • It was noted the number in the room (around 20) and general membership of CND isn’t high. This concerns NET because we are closer than ever to midnight (doomsday clock)
  • Steve suggested that the reason for the delay to the release of Labour’s defense review is likely in light of Trump being elected
  • The fact that the nuclear ‘deterrent’ is part of labour’s heritage likely has an influence of their contemporary stance on it (especially when elected into government). Furthermore, being a member of the P5 means they also likely want to lead efforts and the argument for the importance of nuclear weapons as a deterrent.
  • Moving forwards, research and protest has an important role to play in politics and policy development

2:30pm – Break with light refreshments.

2:45 – Yorkshire CND year in review presentation by Dave Webb

3pm – AGM (finance review, co-ord elections, worker/group reports, and other business)

  • Worker reports from 2024 were available to view at the meeting, and are available to access for Yorkshire CND members by request: info@yorkshirecnd.org.uk
  • Yorkshire CND are getting a student intern starting this month, following interviews with students at Leeds Beckett and Bradford University.
  • In preparation for the student volunteer, and future volunteers at festivals etc., we have developed a more formal Volunteer Policy.
  • We also now have an updates H&S form
  • 2025 marks 80 years since the end of WW2, start of the UN + 80 years since bombings of hiroshima & nagasaki. This will be considered as part of our events this year.
  • Inflation impacted finances e.g. on rent and salary increases
  • Yorkshire CND agreed in December 2024 to be back in line with National CND’s recommended outside of London recommended salary rates, after not doing this since 2022 due to an oversight. This has meant a sudden bigger increase in salary than would usually happen, and co-ord will ensure better communication with National CND & the relevant union reps moving forwards
  • Festival income changed, due to a variety of factors e.g. more festival goers having battery packs, better service from phone companies linked with the festivals, inflation impacting how much people are willing to donate at festivals…
  • Coord took the decision to let ronnie go due to a potential loss of up to £12,000
  • Budget for 2025 is looking just about neutral and should breakeven, but depends on things such as membership income, festival income, and potential grant support for projects.
  • More income expected from grants and membership this coming year, as our membership system has changed and is automated to remind members by email about new fee rates & when to renew
  • Yorkshire CND thanks Sarah for staff help & assisting with policies etc.
  • Yorkshire CND to write a note of thanks to Sylvia for her role of coord
  • YCND to work on an appeal to do a call out for more coord members (advertising firstly to members)
  • Yorkshire CND will put out an advert to increase the diversity of our coord, and for the vice chair role

Positions

Chair – Dave Webb

Vice chair – Charlie Fairbank

Treasurer – Hugh Hubbard

Other members of coord – Colin Archer, James Fishwick, Cath Bann, Miriam Moss, Richard Bakewell, Jimmy McCleod, Rashida, Chris Butler, Alasdair Beal, Matthew Maslen

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PLEASE REACH OUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN THE YORKSHIRE CND CO-ORD, OR IF YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS. WE ARE CURRENTLY IN NEED OF A VICE-CHAIR. CONTACT: INFO@YORKSHIRECND.ORG.UK

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ANY DOCUMENTS NEEDED CAN BE ACCESSED BY MEMBERS ON REQUEST BY EMAILING US: INFO@YORKSHIRECND.ORG.UK

CLICK TO VIEW STEVE'S PRESENTATION