Year of the Volunteer

In our final dispatch from the IWA volunteering frontline, Robin Bishop of West London Branch sheds light on the unsung role of branch secretary

Job Description:

Branch Secretary

The role of secretary primarily involves attending and taking down the minutes of all branch committee meetings, of which there are usually six per year. Before each one you’ll need to send out email reminders of the dates and times of the meeting, and compose and send out the agendas in advance too. After the meetings you’ll have to type up and issue copies of the minutes to all the committee members, plus Head Office.

In addition to the core work described above, a secretary also carries out general administrative duties on behalf of the branch.

Robin won a Richard Bird Medal at IWA’s annual Volunteer Awards in September for all his efforts for the charity to date. He was described by his colleague Roger Hazelgrove as “always first to volunteer to promote the work of IWA and of the branch at events and festivals, where he is also pretty skilled at selling IWA merchandise”.

How long have you been in the role?

I joined my local branch committee in March 1996 and took over the role of secretary in April 2002 when the previous secretary retired. This means that I have been in this role now for 18 years.

What attracted you to it?

I’ve always had a curious fascination with taking down the minutes of meetings, so I suppose that was a major appeal. Having said that, after joining the branch I took my time to discover what all the other committee roles entailed before plumping for this one specifically.

Had you ever volunteered before taking this position?

I had never volunteered before taking on the secretary position, so it was all new to me. But I’ve subsequently become heavily involved with other waterways work, including the Friends of Raymond. I help to take Raymond and Nutfield to various canal festivals and enjoy talking to visitors about the boats. I feel quite passionately about the importance of improving the waterways and can often be found on work parties, getting stuck into repainting, clearing vegetation etc.

Robin also volunteers with Friends of Raymond, the charity which owns and maintains the historic working pair Raymond and Nutfield.

How many hours do you spend on the role per week?

Throughout the year it works out at approximately five hours per week. Of course, the busiest times are in and around each committee meeting.

What do you enjoy about it?

I suppose I enjoy being able to help keep the branch functioning as it should be and communicating with my fellow committee members on all necessary matters. Just making sure things are working as smoothly and efficiently as possible is very satisfying.

Has the pandemic (and lockdown in particular) complicated the job, or in any respect made it easier?

Somewhat surprisingly, Covid-19 hasn’t complicated the job at all. If anything, it seems to have made my role easier. These days all our meetings are online, and so there’s no travel time lost getting to and fro between them. It’s so simple to book onto Zoom, without having to step foot outside your front door, and away we go. In theory, a branch secretary can now be based anywhere in the country and still carry out the main requirements of the job successfully.

What's been your biggest achievement in the role to date?

I can’t think that there has been any particular achievement to date, but I just love doing those minutes as the main part of my role. I get so much pleasure out of it that I was inspired to take on the position of secretary for the London Region committee too, as well as for Canalway Cavalcade.

What type of person would the role suit?

Anyone interested in applying for the role of branch secretary should ideally be able to communicate with others to keep the ball rolling. The only other important skill required is basic IT literacy.

Why volunteer with IWA? Getting involved with IWA is a fun way to meet new people and learn new skills while helping to improve and protect the waterways for everyone. Find out more at waterways.org.uk/volunteer.