Could you step up and be the 2019 Community Action Director for JCI UK?
Could you step up and be the 2019 Community Action Director for JCI UK?
Posted By admin |01 Aug 2018
This time in our series of blogs focusing on the roles of the 2019 National Team for JCI UK, we feature the role of Community Action Director.
‘Community’ is an important area of opportunity within JCI, alongside the other areas of ‘business’, ‘training’, international’ and ‘social’.
Making an impact
“Community is the ‘glue’ that brings chambers, members and their local communities together and gives JCI members the opportunity to make real positive change and impact” says Phoebe Benta this year’s National Community Director. This is very much in keeping with the JCI global mission ‘to provide development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change’ i.e. to make a difference.
The key role of the Community Action Director is to co-ordinate national community projects such as ‘pound a day’ that may raise money for charity as well as awareness into key issues such poverty. The role also involves supporting and encouraging local chambers to run projects that are relevant to their areas. “You may think this is obvious” says Phoebe, “but not every project will be right for your chamber - it is a learning curve and that’s what JCI is all about; learning and developing”.
JCI has a tool called the ‘active citizens framework’ (ACF) that can help local chambers identify key problems facing the local area and helps them to come up with sustainable solutions – so its not just putting a sticking plaster on the issue but it actually makes a difference. There are lots of local examples from chambers across the country in recent years running very successful community projects: from encouraging blood donations; teaching older people to use computers to reduce isolation; deaf awareness initiatives and even offering small grants to help local groups make a local impact.
Good health and wellbeing
Another important part of the Community Action Director's role is to champion the UN Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which JCI supports across the world. In the UK, we will be focusing on SDG 3 'good health and wellbeing' with a particular emphasis on mental health. It is a sad fact that 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem (such as anxiety or depression, for example) at some point in their lives; just as worryingly is the fact that suicide is the leading cause of death among young people aged 20-34 years in the UK and it is considerably higher in men.
If you are interested and you think you can step up to this role to help literally make the world a better place, have a read through the 2019 Community Action Director Role and please get in touch with me for a chat either by phone, email, whats app.
The small print
If you wish to stand, please complete the intention to stand template for 2019 – this asks for the reasons you want to stand, what experience you have and the ideas you have for the role. You then need to get a JCI Chamber to propose you and another to second you – this would usually by the President of the proposing or seconding Chamber. Then e-mail this to Vicky Biggs, 2018 Admin Director at Vicky.biggs@jciuk.org.uk and also myself mark.smith@jciuk.org.uk at the latest, by 8pm on 17th August 2018. If more than one person stands for a particular role, we will let you know in case you wish to prepare an election campaign. National Board roles will then be voted on at the JCI UK Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 15th September.
Mark Smith
2018 Deputy National President JCI UK
Senator #76527
M: 07977 422341
E: mark.smith@jciuk.org.uk