The IHBC’s Chair and President have written to all members with IHBC’s Second Update on recent Charter progress, including outline plans for text reviews at our next Council, date To Be Confirmed (TBC).
IHBC Chair David McDonald OBE and Rebecca Thompson IHBC President write:
This letter from our Chair and President offers our most recent thoughts on progress and plans in our Charter exploration, informed by responses to the first update…
Members have already authorised and encouraged the Board to lead in this work, and explore the potential of a Royal Charter for the IHBC, an honour that ‘would provide recognition of our discipline at the highest levels accessible to a body such as ours’ (Privy Council Office).
All decisions on Charter progress will always sit first with our voting (Accredited and Retired) Members at our General Meetings. As this is about our future however, ALL member categories are encouraged to join these discussions.
Recent developments are summarised below. However, they are all without prejudice to any outcome or timeline, and subject to a range of factors, so your feedback is essential, whether in favour of, concerned by, or against a Charter.
If you are new to these discussions, you can see further background to 2024 on our own Petition for Charter exploration site, as described in the Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2024 update and earlier FAQs. As we have now secured permission to Petition for a Royal Charter, that Petition for Charter site is currently for reference
SECOND UPDATE: SUMMARY
- Following positive and supportive responses to our first update, an open discussion of Charter matters is planned for our next online Council, with likely dates currently in the first 2 weeks of December… following our usual Council online format and start time of about 4.30pm.
- Draft and working Charter documents will be made available in advance to help inform thoughts and discussions. The date of Council will be confirmed when we know these texts will be ready.
- Members of all categories are encouraged to attend and air their views at the meeting. Whether or not you can or plan to attend Council, you are strongly encouraged to respond with your thoughts AT ANY TIME using the form HERE, with all feedback assessed without prejudice. Linked Councils will be planned informed by the feedback received.
- If feedback from Council continues to be positive, we will review the need for a General Meeting before a planned AGM in early April 2027 when the Charter documents will be formally considered.
See links to IHBC’s Charter progress on the NewsBlogs HERE, and the milestone ‘IHBC warmly welcomes PCO approval to Petition for Charter’
