December 2025 – Strategic priorities update

Delivering the strategic priorities – we need your help

The RSGB Board at the 2025 Convention

You may have read previous articles about the RSGB’s strategic priorities and thought this was something for someone else. After all, you might reason, does the Society not already have a well-run HQ operation, and are there not plenty of volunteers delivering services?

We do indeed, and without them much of what you associate with RSGB activity simply would not happen. But we now need more.

To deliver our Strategy effectively, we have several volunteer roles to fill, and the purpose of this article is to ask whether you could help. These roles focus on delivering our two main strategic priorities: growing amateur radio and increasing Society membership.

The first is straightforward. More UK amateurs mean more activity and more QSOs to enjoy. Active bands are easier to defend when spectrum access is under pressure.

The second, growing the Society, is equally important. The RSGB’s cost base is relatively fixed, and if we are to maintain, or improve, membership benefits while limiting subscription increases, we need to broaden our membership. More members also strengthen our influence with Ofcom and other national and international stakeholders.

The Board and Regional Team vacancies

You will find on page 7 in the December edition of RadCom the formal annual notification of Board and Regional Team vacancies. We are seeking four new Board Directors and three Regional Representatives.

We are looking for people with a strong understanding of amateur radio and its supporting technology, and ideally some business or organisational experience. For Board Directors in particular, skills in corporate strategy execution, project management, communications, general management, or finance would be particularly valuable as the Society continues to modernise.

I intend to retire from the role of Company Secretary at the 2027 AGM, by which time I will have been an RSGB volunteer for 50 years. This important position would suit someone who has worked as a committee administrator, company secretary, accountant, or legal professional. Most of the work involves supporting the Board and advising it on compliance with the Society’s Articles, Bylaws, and the Companies Act. It is a rewarding opportunity to use your professional experience, or to broaden it in a new context.

The Board is responsible to members for developing initiatives under the Strategy and ensuring the Society is well and prudently run. To deliver our goals, we need an effective Board, one that reflects the diversity of our membership and brings a broad range of skills and perspectives to the table.

To grow membership, our Regional Team must be an active and visible part of the Society’s work. Regional Representatives, supported by District Representatives, play a vital role in engaging with local clubs, promoting the RSGB’s interests, and helping to recruit new members.

Other important vacancies

Without examinations, there are no new amateurs. The RSGB operates an efficient online exam system, but there is always room to improve. We are seeking volunteers to help develop the syllabus, expand and validate the question pool, and handle appeals. Experience in education or training development would be helpful.

External antennas are essential to the hobby, and we are looking for members with experience of the planning process, preferably professional, as it applies to amateur radio installations

The EMC Committee assists members with both incoming and outgoing interference issues. We are looking for technically skilled volunteers who can offer one-to-one advice and practical solutions.

This is not an exclusive list. If you have skills or knowledge you could contribute, or if you have a project idea that supports the strategic priorities, we would love to hear from you. Support and resources may be available to help bring good ideas to life.

Gaining from giving

You might ask, what is in it for me? These roles are unpaid, although expenses are covered, and there are no medals or extra power limits! Your QSL cards will not arrive faster, nor will your contest scores rise.

But the rewards are real. Personally, for me, and I am sure all my fellow volunteer colleagues, it is about giving something back. Amateur radio has been an important part of my life, and I want to see it survive, grow, and evolve. The satisfaction of helping others and shaping the future of our hobby is immense, and I know many of my Board colleagues feel exactly the same.

If this has sparked your interest, please do get in touch. We need your help to deliver the strategic priorities and to make amateur radio a better place for all of us. The strategic priorities will not deliver themselves.

For more information or to express interest, please contact me at company.secretary@rsgb.org.uk

Stephen Purser, GW4SHF

RSGB Company Secretary

• You can also find this update in the December 2025 RadCom

Category: RSGB Strategic Priorities