Did you know that we have a Retired Staff Association (RSA)? We were the first Education and Training Board in the country to set one up in 2022 but what does it do? In this blog, Association Secretary, our former first Director of Organisation Support and Development, Jim McGlynn, tells us all about it.
Donegal ETB (and the former Donegal VEC) has a proud tradition of providing pre-retirement seminars for all categories of staff contemplating retirement and in my capacity as the first Director of Organisation Support and Development (OSD), I was presented with the opportunity of attending one in 2018. The programme covered all the appropriate areas of pre-retirement planning including, pensions schemes and benefits, social welfare entitlements, taxation, wills and Inheritance, financial planning and, of course, healthy lifestyle options.
I recall sharing my own and the very positive feedback from all who attended, with our Chief Executive, Anne McHugh and fellow Directors of Schools and Further Education and Training (FET), Martin Gormley and Cróna Gallagher. Everyone acknowledged how much they enjoyed and benefitted from their attendance and I got a sense of how Donegal ETB valued and appreciated the years of service provided by all attendees and provided very useful information to assist them in preparing for life after work.
It was this thought of life after work that set me thinking on how a large employer such as Donegal ETB could reach out and support their large cohort of retired staff on a corporate basis. There are many informal get-togethers of retired colleagues from their respective schools, centres, or offices. However, the idea of establishing a formally constituted Retired Staff Association for the ETB as a whole interested me.
Following my own retirement in December 2020, I began to research existing Retired Staff Associations and compiled some very useful guidance on how we might proceed. I met with Chief Executive Anne McHugh and the ETB Executive in August 2021 and received overwhelming support for the proposed setting up of a formal Retired Staff Association (RSA) to afford retired staff opportunities to continue to meet and connect socially and participate in social, cultural, and educational activities for its members.
Initially, we met as a Working Group and subsequently, I persuaded several fellow retirees to join me on a Formation Committee where we set about putting the foundation stones in place. This work included the drafting of a constitution, agreeing on the initial means of communications in compliance with GDPR, banking and insurance arrangements and a membership form, together with arrangements for the official launch.
The Formation Committee, in consultation with the Chief Executive (CE) and the ETB Executive, also decided to extend an invitation to former FÁS/AnCO staff, who had retired between 2010 and prior to the transfer of the former FÁS/SOLAS Training Services to Donegal ETB, to join the Retired Staff Association and we are delighted with the response.
When we were satisfied that we had sufficient groundwork done, we set about planning the official launch, which was held on 30th November 2022 in Jackson’s Hotel, Ballybofey, and was kindly performed by Anne McHugh, CE. Almost eighty people were present the day and I had also received apologies and expressions of interest from many more retirees. We also used the official launch to afford retirees the opportunity to contribute suggestions and ideas for possible activities.
Inaugural General Meeting
Our next task was to become formally constituted, and we achieved that at our inaugural General Meeting on 3rd March 2023 in the Central Hotel, Donegal Town. We adopted a Constitution, approved of a Members’ Application Form and annual subscription and elected Officers and Members to the RSA Executive Committee, including myself as Secretary.
Our adopted Constitution included the following aims and objectives:
- To provide opportunities for members and their spouses/partners to meet regularly.
- To provide opportunities to participate in social, cultural, and educational activities.
- To represent its members, promote their welfare, and provide opportunities for social interaction.
- To provide general information to members.
- To ensure that members continue to be an integral part of the Donegal ETB community.
RSA Executive Committee
It was recognised that we needed an active Executive Committee, more like a Working Group, to lead out on the operations of the RSA and organise our schedule of outings and activities. Three to four meetings were held annually and the three main officers also met separately on several occasions.
Our work was quite busy and demanding in our first year and included:
- Completion of the RSA Bank Account and online banking application process.
- Implementation of Insurance Cover.
- Preparation and circulation of a questionnaire to members on proposed social and other events together with analysis of completed questionnaires.
- The inclusion of an Information Note on the RSA, a Membership Application Form and a stamped addressed envelope in the letter issued by Donegal ETB Pensions to retiring staff.
- The appointment of Link Persons from within the RSA Executive Committee to act as one-to-one contacts with each retiree in their respective former workplace RSA Retiree Group.
- The establishment, with the expert assistance of then Head of IT, Ciaran Cunningham, of a dedicated section on Donegal ETB’S website intranet for our Association where retirees can view information on the Association, including RSA news on events and outings, useful IT resources and an extensive gallery of photographs from our various outings.
- The creation of WhatsApp groups for the RSA Executive Committee and our overall membership solely for the purpose of alerting members to email communications
Social Outings and Events
To date, we have organised a range of outings and events in our first two years, including:
- Guest speaker on mindfulness and wellbeing in retirement, emotional resilience, mental health, Donegal Intercultural Platform.
- Visits to Glenveagh National Park, the Balmoral Show, Lissadell House and Gardens, the Tower Museum in Derry and Wild Ireland.
- Waterbus Tour of Donegal Bay.
- Climb of Errigal Mountain.
- Taster workshops on photography and cookery.
- Information sharing on social, recreational, and educational activities.
- Information circulated on other outings, which members could book directly with the respective providers.
- We conclude each year with a Remembrance Service for deceased members, we hold our AGM, provide a guest speaker and round off proceedings with a table quiz and Christmas lunch.
I take great pride in the establishment of the Donegal ETB Retired Staff Association. I enjoy the fulfilment in my role as Secretary and take great pleasure and satisfaction in facilitating opportunities for retired staff to reconnect. For me personally, and I’m sure for all, an added bonus has been the opportunity to reconnect with former work colleagues who had retired prior to us and to enjoy their company again in a relaxed environment. In addition, it afforded me the opportunity to meet and get to know retired staff whom I did not have the opportunity to engage with directly while I was working.
Donegal ETB is now able to give added recognition to lifetimes of service and to ensure that members of the RSA continue to be an integral part of the Donegal ETB community. The RSA has had a significant impact on the lives of its members. By providing a platform for retired individuals to connect, advocate, and support each other, the Association has improved the quality of life of its members. The RSA is a valuable resource with lots of health and wellness programmes, educational opportunities, and community engagement activities planned.