Spring Newsletter – February 2011

Hello and Welcome to 2011

I am pleased to be writing this newsletter as the newly elected Chair for the F & I Association and hope that I can do the position some justice after stepping into William Blane’s shoes. William has worked tirelessly for over seven years as Chairman and I would like to take this opportunity to thank him and all the committee members for their support.

I am relieved to inherit many of the established committee members to help guide and lead the F & I Association into the next few years. We are sadly losing Alison Craig who is retiring from a ten year term as secretary, but are welcoming Di Roberts as our new secretary and committee member.

I hope the Association can continue to grow and expand. If every member can check that they are fully paid up (and ideally by direct debit @£20), plus recruit a friend then we can become a strong and cohesive association. We can then provide a variety of training days which can be delivered across the whole of the UK to meet all of our members’ needs.

In addressing the currently trying times that we as trainers / coaches / instructors are facing in this financial climate I wish to consider the image and professional reputation that being a Fellow or Instructor represents. One of our training days will be aimed at considering our own commercial viability and management. I hope this can support a professional strategy for personal growth, respect and support that the kudos that being a BHS Fellow or Instructor represents within the BHS but also within the Equine Industry as a whole.

Please feel free to contact myself or any committee member with any queries or suggestions as to how we can take this year and subsequent years forward.

Jo Winfield