Have you got an interest in the Birth Centre? Perhaps you have used or
are using the service or maybe you would like to in the future?
PLEASE CONSIDER NOMINATING FOR A ROLE ON ‘THE FRIENDS’ COMMITTEE at our AGM on the morning of 31st March 2009 - President, Treasurer, Secretary and general committee positions are available.
The Friends of the Birth Centre Townsville was responsible for helping to bring birth centre care to Townsville and for helping to make it the service that it is today.
As the Townsville Birth Centre is now operational, the role of the ‘Friends of the Birth Centre Townsville’ is changing.
At our AGM – to be held on TUESDAY 31st March, the existing committee envisage handing over the operation of the ‘The Friends of the Birth Centre Townsville’ primarily into the hands of mums (or supporters of women) who have or will birth at the Townsville Birth Centre.
That said perhaps if you have used a birth centre elsewhere, or understand the benefits of birth centre care and would like to support women in Townsville accessing Birth Centre services we also warmly welcome you to nominate also.
The role of the new committee will be to re-evaluate the level of services that can be sustained by ‘the Friends’ group (recognising that the committee are all generally parents of young children) and redefine the activities that ‘the Friends’ can support going forward for the time being.
Activities undertaken by ‘the Friends’ during the past year have included: representation of consumer views to the Townsville Hospital during the planning, establishment and now running of the Townsville Birth Centre policies and operations; monthly meetings (including issuing of agendas and documentation of minutes); management of correspondence via email, mobile and post office box; banking and accounting of finances; membership (individual and corporate categories); baby wearing demonstrations; sling & wrap production and sales; Birth Centre Client Welcome Kit bag creation and insert collection; website creation and management (www.fbctownsville.org.au) and production of an eight-page print newsletter. We also undertook a major project producing, celebrating and selling ‘The Miracle of Life’ Calendar promoting the opening of the Friends of the Birth Centre.
Over the five years prior to this, ‘the Friends’ group instigated and maintained a prolonged campaign of grass roots advocacy and awareness raising for birth centre care becoming available in Townsville, provided support to women birthing in Townsville, and undertook considerable political lobbying and media liaison – that was ultimately rewarded by the establishment of a Birth Centre in Townsville.
But wait, before you are overwhelmed by all of that….The current committee strongly recommend that the activities of the Friends going forward in 2009 be significantly reduced and simplified – and that as the birth centre community grows, so too does ‘the Friends’ group, coupled with a re-expansion of its services aligned with the emerging needs of both the Birth Centre and its clients over the years.
In the short term, it may be that the group becomes simply a monthly morning tea for the mothers and midwives, later regrowing its capacity to again provide services and information to the public, consumers and midwives.
If you would like to help form the new committee for ‘the Friends’, and have an opportunity to influence how the Townsville Birth Centre operates into the future – I encourage you to become involved.
So do please come along the AGM, meet with like-minded others and put your hand up to become a part of the new committee for the Friends of the Birth Centre Townsville. Nominations accepted in advance or on the day.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Sandy McCathie Outgoing President, Friends of the Birth Centre Townsville
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