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June 2012

Very exciting news this week as 70 people have paid up to become full members. They are coming in by the day and we are hopeful of having 100 before our start in September. We feel confident that once people start attending they will tell friends and our membership will grow through word of mouth.

Our programme has been printed. We had some problems getting the programme into the right format but eventually found that NADFAS had a template that we could use.

Our next rehearsal is booked and everyone is really enthusiastic. We are heading into the main holiday period when most of the committee will be away so the next few days will be a frantic rush to contact everyone and make sure they understand their roles for September.

Other good news – a local care company, Bluebird Care (www.bluebirdcare.co.uk) are offering us sponsorship in return for the opportunity to bring a display and some leaflets to one of our meetings.

Last week I was lucky enough to attend a social media course at NADFSA House where we had very useful input from the marketing and publicity department and a freelance journalist. It would appear that using Facebook would be a good a option for us – and so I am going to migrate this blog to Facebook. However, Facebook will be more than just a blog and I am looking forward to trying out some of the tips that we were shown.

May Update

Where has the time gone?

I’ve let this blog slip so I’m going to try updating it now. I made a promise to myself that I would keep it updated in case it was useful to other new societies but so many things have happened. Anyway, here goes..!

We had our rehearsal at the venue and Andrew, our team advisor, came too. It went well and the team shone as usual and all pulled together. They came up with great suggestions for improvements.

There are a few little bits and pieces that need to be ironed out, but I have already been in touch with the school and they are sorting them out. One issue was the door handle. We could not open the door from the outside to start with – a good thing we have a rehearsal as this could have been a disaster, not being able to get in at all!

We have devised some invitations and our vice chair is taking charge of the printing and distribution.  They will go out in the middle of June.

The programme is being finalised as I write. Just one confirmation to finish off. We have decided to take only lecturers with digital presentations. This should make things easier for us. Now to organise the printing and distribution of the programmes on small – A5 size -cards. This is proving something of a technical challenge at the moment as it is difficult to get the document to print the correct size without the text slipping.

Earlier this week I was lucky enough to be invited to NADFAS house to sit on the lecturer selection panel. I made me realise what high standards are expected of our lecturers and how well the quality assurance arrangements in NADFAS work

Our marketing carries on gathering pace. We had part of a stand at our annual Village fair , this week we have a stand in the library for Adult Learners Week and  we are also preparing  for a Jubilee stand to promote our work at the celebrations in the village.

Around 160 people have now expressed an interest in membership and we are  ready to start asking for the fees. We are using a form that we devised for our society . We have also had to devise other forms eg expenses and would like to acknowledge our debt to other societies who have helped us with suggestions. If you are setting up we’d be glad to pass on the things we have learnt. One other society suggested we keep hard copy of all these for future reference.

NADFAS News – NADFAS held it’s AGM last week in Kensington and we were fortunate to be represented by two of our committee. NADFAS is involved in some very exciting projects with other organizations. For example, Tate Britain , in conjunction with NADFAS , are offering free places to young people on workshops in October 2012.  The AGM provides a really good showcase for NADAFS work and for future strategy. NADFAS is a healthy, well run organization with a great network and links in the artworld. 

It's great fun  keeping things moving, a bit like spinning plates but very rewarding. 

Jodrell Decorative and Fine Arts Society - a New Society

Hello and welcome to Jodrell Decorative and Fine Arts Society Blog (JoDFAS). We are a branch of NADFAS, the national association, nadfas.org.uk

We are a new society covering a large area in south Cheshire and North Staffordshire. We are based in Holmes Chapel where we hold monthly lectures on all topics related to the art world. Our lectures start in September 2012 at Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School. Click here for directions. My name is Chris and this blog is about how we are setting up the society.  

Why are we doing this?

Last year, by coincidence, I found myself sitting next to Helen Sugden, of the new societies support team.

I told her how much I enjoyed my NADFAS lectures in Wilmslow, but mentioned that it would be nice if we had a society nearer to home, in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire.  

“Why not start one?”  she said. I thought about this for some weeks and having newly retired, contacted Helen

So began the exhilarating and fascinating journey towards setting up Jodrell DFAS. Our society takes its name from the area around Jodrell Bank, 3 miles from Holmes Chapel. I’m sure you will have heard of the Jodrell Bank Observatory with its iconic telescope. Take a look at it here http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/

Our programme of lectures will start in September 2012 in Holmes Chapel.  So far, 110 people in the local area, have expressed an interest in our venture!

We’re thrilled to be so far ahead with our planning but we still have a lot to do. This short blog might help others who are setting up and new societies might be able to offer each other a bit of moral support. However, we have had some fantastic support from the new societies support team, especially Andrew, who has come to all our meetings, looked at our venue, been busy arranging a couple of speakers for us as well as fielding lots of email queries as we go along. 

What support is available?

If you are thinking of setting up a society I would strongly recommend it -  but make sure you have enough time to devote to the venture. There is so much of interest to do. For example, training at NADFAS House , advertising, looking for suitable lecturers, themes and subjects. But, whatever the activity be assured that you will be supported personally and also administratively with lots of useful organisational pointers, checklists and ideas etc.

Marketing and advertising progress

Another busy week or so preparing for our launch.

Now have access to the website so am able to make my own alterations. This may be time consuming initially but should get easier as I get used to it. Have applied and been accepted on a ‘social media course’ at NADFAS house in June – you may be seeing great things on this website after that!

We have been distributing the postcard flyers and taking them with us to concerts, antique fairs, shops, meetings, reading groups, music groups etc. the number on the ‘ interested list’ is steadily increasing. The membership team sent out the latest newsletter to those registered. The newsletter is chatty and informative and aims to keep people interested and up to date with our progress. We are also warning them that we wil be asking for money within the next couple of months.

We have also had to construct a membership form to suit our own society , including a gist aid declaration. This took some sorting out as we were not clear what was required at first.

If you need to use ours as a template – please go ahead. I am going to put it on the website as soon as I work out how!

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Website

Our website has been launched. It looks great and we are very pleased with it. The site is a work in progress and we will need to keep it updated and fresh looking as we go along. so far our designer, Sophie Petter Design, has been doing all the updates and input for us. Now a few of us need to get together and learn how to do this ourselves. We also need more photographs for our 'slider' and it would be nice to use more local pictures. If you are reading this why not visit the site click here to visit the JoDFAS website


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Support and Kindness

We are very lucky to be so well supported in our venture - setting up this new society. I mentioned previously that other societies at the New Chairmans Day and at the AGM had been really helpful. Programme secretaries have shared their documentation and programmes with us. They have listened to our ideas and enabled us to clarify our thoughts. Our new societies advisor, Andrew, has been really helpful in giving just the right amount of support but helping us to become autonomous in the process. He gives us just the right amount of information so that we are not swamped or overwhelmed by the task.
We have been welcomed to lectures by another local society and had a good experience that enables us to think more carefully about our own society.

Another great source of support is Hilary, from another society, not too far away. She set up her society a few years ago. I have been lucky enough to have met up with her and also talked on the phone about all aspects of setting up the society. She is so positive and enthusiatic and always gives practical sensible advice as well as sharing any paperwork that she thinks might be helpful.

We are very lucky and able to enjoy our task thanks to these people!


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