President's Message
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| Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen, President |
I am delighted to introduce this review of RoSPA’s activities in 2006/2007 in the knowledge that it represents another excellent chapter in the Society’s long history.
This has been my third year as President. In that time we have had to deal with many changes and yet progress has continued to be made.
When I first agreed to take the office, I, like many of my predecessors, was surprised by the wide spectrum of RoSPA’s remit and the complexities of the subjects it has to tackle on a day-to-day basis.
The Society, unlike others in the field, is not a single-issue organisation dealing, for instance, with road safety or occupational safety alone. RoSPA looks at accident prevention in all walks of life – in the home, at leisure, on the road, in the workplace and on and in water – as well as the way risk education can be improved and the safety of products.
Our new Chief Executive, Tom Mullarkey - appointed after the sad death of John Howard - has quickly understood the way that RoSPA fits into the safety world and appreciates the hard work on which the Society’s reputation has been built. To capitalise on RoSPA’s expertise, for example, he has linked the policy and operations areas to provide more integrated solutions to safety problems, and this has already begun to show rewards.
Following the excellent job they did last year keeping the Society on course while we looked for a new Chief Executive, Errol Taylor has been promoted to Deputy Chief Executive and Janice Cave has become Director of Public Affairs. Congratulations to them both.
Along with our Deputy President, Lord Jordan of Bournville, I have been pleased to accompany RoSPA’s executives to meetings in Whitehall to promote our ideas about improving the safety system. RoSPA’s sensible approach to safety has earned respect in high places and I will continue to work behind the scenes and in the House of Lords to gain support for our key objectives.
Among the highlights of any RoSPA year are the Occupational Health and Safety Awards ceremonies, and this year was even more special as the scheme celebrated its Golden Jubilee. It is always a pleasure to meet the winners as they are the ones that are involved with health and safety in the most practical and inspirational way. They demonstrate that accidents are not inevitable and that lives can be saved and injuries reduced through sound management principles.
The ceremonies and other events that RoSPA stages are always superbly organised and wonderful teamwork is needed to ensure more than 1,300 awards can be presented with clockwork precision. Teamwork and dedication among staff in all the Society’s departments is the key to so many of its successes.
It is something that also extends to our Board of Trustees, and their advice and wise counsel has proved invaluable to me.
Of course, we are always looking for more support such as that provided by our members, national committees and advanced drivers and riders. They are among the other elements of the RoSPA team that has helped us to achieve the progress outlined in this review and given us the sound base to introduce new ideas that will keep us at the forefront of safety thinking.
That team is what truly makes us Britain’s safety charity.
Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen
President
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RoSPA is a registered charity: Registered Charity No: 207823 Patron: Her Majesty the Queen RoSPA Head Office: Edgbaston Park, 353 Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7ST, UK |
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