The new executive board took office in November and has begun working around 9 portfolios of work:

Advocacy (Stu Carr)

Blog and newsletter (Tara Behrend)

Communication (Ashley Hoffman)

Marketing (Ines Meyer)

Membership (Doug Maynard)

Organisational issues (Mary O’Neill Berry)

Student issues (Alex Gloss)

Value (Kristen Kirkland)

Website (Doug Maynard)

Our key goals for the year are divided into three areas:

  • First, to continue the structural development of the organisation through working on issues like the website, a code of ethics and registration.
  • Second is a focus on outreach, to help spread the word about what GOHWP members are doing. This includes this blog and a semiannual newsletter, as well as advocacy, through collating information on the work currently being done by members as well as identifying areas where we have a contribution to make, and raising awareness of these through the media and conferences. Related to this is a focus on marketing – particularly to areas of the world where we have fewer members.
  • Thirdly, we are developing information for members to be posted on the website like tip-sheets, FAQs, updated resources, and conference information.

Across all of these areas our student representative, Alex, is paying particular attention to the needs of students.

 

But we need your help! We would love to hear from anyone who is interested in helping in any of the above portfolio areas. Please let us know at info@gohwp.org which portfolio you’re interested in, and we can let you know more information about what we’re planning and how you might be able to get involved.

On top of what we’ve planned, if you have ideas of your own we’d like to support you to put them into action.  So send us an email (info@gohwp.org) to let us know what you’re thinking and how we can help, and we’ll do our best to do so!

This year promises to be an important one for GOHWP, as we move our focus from the structural issues of getting the organisation established, to working on the visibility of HWP, and helping more people to get involved through their study, work, research and teaching. There is so much to do in these exciting times, and I hope that many of you will join us in paving the way for HWP in the future!