Election of Trustees at 2024 AGM: Members' Briefing Pack

24 October 2024

This webpage, and the documents linked to it, have all the information for the election of trustees - 2024.

Would you consider standing for election to the SMP Board?

The SMP is governed by a Board of up to 16 Trustees who volunteer their expertise, energy and time, to oversee and guide the national network. New Trustees are normally confirmed at the AGM which, this year, is taking place in Edinburgh on Saturday, 23 November 2024.

Any member can put themselves forward for election by completing and returning an application form which should be returned to Dorothea@scotland-malawipartnership.org by 5pm on Monday, 11 November.

This webpage, and the documents linked to it, have all the information you need to stand for election.

Skills and Experience Required

In keeping with best practice, gaps in the composition of the Board are identified through annual review of current composition prior to the AGM.

Three key questions are considered:

  • Does the Board have the necessary technical skills, experience and expertise to undertake its duties?

- Finance: Someone with experience in managing finances whether through employment, grant responsibility or other charitable work.

- Funding: Someone with experience, contacts and time to help the SMP diversify its income, working within the very limited staff capacity.

- The Malawian Diaspora: We welcome especially our friends from Malawi who are currently based in Scotland

- In addition, applicants with knowledge, insight or experience in Government/Parliament, Private Sector, the law as it applies to charities, and Membership Organisations would be welcome.

  • Is the Board broadly representative of the membership it represents?

We endeavour to encourage a gender balanced outcome from the 2024 trustee elections

  • Is the Board sufficiently diverse?

To adequately represent the wider membership, the Board is keen to encourage applications from:

1). Young people

2). Schools and Higher Education Institutions

3.) Local Authorities

Of course, most individuals have a range of skills, many of which could be useful to the SMP and which go way beyond what is listed here. It is however important to remember that being a Trustee carries responsibilities and often, talents and skills can be used to support SMP in other ways than on the Board.

Our Existing Board

The Constitution of the Scotland Malawi Partnership (SCIO) allows for a Board of up to 16 Trustees but can have as few as 6. A term of office for a Trustee is three years, after which they must stand down but are welcome to stand for re-election should they wish, on an equal basis with those standing for the first time.

Trustees can serve for a maximum of three consecutive terms of office, each of up to three years. After this, Trustees will be eligible for re-election again after a gap of at least one year.

Full bios of Trustees through 2024, is available HERE:

Heather Cubie – Chair (has completed three terms and will be standing down)
Susan Dalgety - Vice Chair
Jeremy Bagg*
Edward Duncan
John Fanning
Blessings Kachale
Barry Klaassen
Davie Luhanga*
Yonah Matemba
Tracy Morse*
Rachel Philips
Sally Rae
Kevin Simpson
Judith Turbyne
Emma Wood*
John Wyllie

* Trustees standing down at the AGM but are entitled to stand for re-election.
The following Trustees are willing to stand for re-election

(none declared as of yet)

Departures from the Board

We are keen to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks to Heather Cubie. We are eternally grateful for her service and we know she will remain at the heart of the SMP.

Davie Luhanga joined the Board in 2021. During his time on the Board, he has offered vast experience, understanding and knowledge of Malawian culture. He has worked with several different groups and organisations in Malawi.

The following Trustees are eligible/willing to stand for re-election

Emma Wood joined the SMP Board in 2021. She is chair of the charity STEKAskills and a recently retired as senior lecturer at Queen Margaret University (QMU) in Edinburgh. STEKAskills is a small grassroots charity with a number of Malawians and members of the Malawian diaspora on the board. STEKAskills has recently funded the development of a STEKA Centre for Vocational Skills and Community Enterprise just outside Blantyre, Malawi. The charity focusses on building solidarity between communities in Scotland and Malawi. Working with a team of young poverty experienced people at the STEKA care home in Blantyre, and its leader, Godknows Maseko, Emma has co-produced a new way for young Scots to interact with poverty experienced peers when they visit Malawi on school trips. This initiative offers an innovative alternative to the voluntourism model often followed when young people travel to Malawi to ‘make a difference’. Emma serves on the membership review committee.

Jeremy Bagg
joined the board in 2021. His background is in academic dentistry. He was Head of the University of Glasgow Dental School from 2005-2021. Since 2017 he has been the Scottish Lead for the MalDent Project, a partnership between Kamuzu University of Health Sciences and the University of Glasgow, funded by Scottish Government. The MalDent Project, through collaboration with the Malawi Government Ministry of Health & Population, has also developed a National Oral Health Policy which was launched in April 2022. Jeremy also served on the recently established board ‘Task and Finish’ group that has been reviewing the SMP’s future strategic plan.

Tracy Morse also joined the board in 2021. She lived and worked in Malawi in public health research and higher education for 20 years, recently returning to Scotland with her family to a new role within the University of Strathclyde as Head of the Centre for Sustainable Development. Within both her professional and personal life she is still very much engaged with Malawi through both her academic work, and engagement with organisations such as FROM Scotland and Open Arms Malawi. Tracy's work involves both research which has provided evidence for Malawian policies and strategies, and she has also been a trusted voice with colleagues and the Government of Malawi in the development of strategies and training programmes at a national level. Tracy serves on the membership review committee.

Diversity and inclusion

The SMP is committed to diversity and inclusivity, and hence we are keen to maintain a good gender, age and diversity balance on the Board.

At present the Board currently has:

  • 8 males and 8 females
  • 13 Scots and 3 Malawians
  • Ages range from 40s to 70s

How to nominate yourself for election:

  1. Read all of this webpage
  2. Read the Information Pack for Prospective Trustees
  3. Secure a proposer and a seconder from the membership (if you are struggling with this, please contact dorothea@scotland-malawipartnership.org for support)
  4. Be committed to joining 2-hour Board meetings every 2 to 3 months
  5. Complete the 2024 Application to Stand form and email to dorothea@scotland-malawipartnership.org with a photo of yourself by 5pm on Monday, 11 November 2024

Election process

Deadline for nominations to be received is 17:00, Monday, 11 November 2024 (receipt will be acknowledged).

Monday, 18 November 2024
: Details of the applicants will be advertised to the membership.

Saturday, 23 November 2023
: At the Annual Gathering, those eligible to vote will be able to vote during the AGM. Results will be announced on the same day. For those registered to attend online, additional voting instructions will be made available.