RSA Cymru

Dear Fellow,

I want to let you know that, in response to a Fellow led proposal and the overwhelming support voiced by the wider Fellowship in Wales (the feedback we got to our request for feedback was the highest ever received for an RSA consultation with Fellows), the RSA Board of Trustees yesterday agreed the formation of RSA Cymru Wales. The Trustees have agreed that two new RSA Regions will be formally enacted on 1 January 2010; RSA Cymru Wales and RSA West.

RSA Cymru Wales will have the same status as the other devolved nations of the UK.

The Trustees recognise that support for this proposal, while mostly positive, was not unanimous. However, the establishment of the new Region/Nation provides a number of opportunities to re-engage and invigorate Fellowship activities, and the RSA will continue to support all Fellows, whether in Wales or West. In order to ensure a smooth transition we will:

• support the existing committee and Fellows over the coming months as we work toward the 1 January establishment of RSA Cymru Wales.

• fund both the West and Wales Regions; The West Region will receive all funds allocated to the existing Wales and West for 2009/10, Wales will receive per capita funding from 1 January. From the beginning of the new financial year, West and Wales will be funded as separate Region/Nations on a per capita basis.

• ensure that activity that has already been planned is not disrupted. The joint and concurrent funding of the West region and Wales will enable scheduled activity to continue and will also provide a solid basis for the growth of local and city based networks.

• deliver an event in the autumn, for Fellows in Wales and West Regions to agree future working arrangements.

I am tremendously excited about the possibilities that this initiative will help to make real by positioning the RSA at the heart of the discussion about social change and future citizenship, and the many opportunities it will provide for work across regional borders.

If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact Chris Luffingham who works for us on the ground in Wales and in the West of England. You can email him at: chris.luffingham@rsa.org.uk.

Very best wishes,

Matthew Taylor