Our 33rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) was preceded by three incredible speakers, and we’d like to extend a HUGE thanks for their important and reflective talks ahead of the formal event.
Before our AGM on Friday 26 November, we had the pleasure of welcoming three external speakers. They were Alison Morton, Executive Director of the Institute of Health Visiting, Chris Miezitis from Fathers Network Scotland and Tayo Medupin, design justice advocate and Founder of Hello Brave.
Alison has an extensive background in health visiting, having held senior roles across national policy and public health for children aged 0-19 years old, as well as quality improvement.
She gave a thought provoking and impactful talk about the incredible work that health visitors do.
Alison spoke about the difficulties health visitors faced during the pandemic – and how they are a safety net for those who don’t ask for help but may need it.
Our Senior Policy Adviser, Elizabeth Duff, said: “It was greatly appreciated that Alison gave time to come and talk to NCT members. We are strongly aligned with much of what health visitors do and we can see every day the need for these professionals to have regular supportive contact and a trusted relationship with new parents.”
Chris has initiated and led Fife’s Improving Father’s Engagement Partnership, after working on equalities and inclusion in a range of settings.
At our AGM, he talked about the importance of fathers’ mental health and support networks available.
He touched on why we need realistic antenatal preparation for what to expect when your baby arrives, and ways of making services more accessible to welcome fathers and partners.
The last of our speakers was Tayo Medupin. Tayo is a passionate advocate of the fundamental importance of self-care for volunteering communities, and has worked in partnership with NCT on its Future of Volunteering project.
Tayo has a decade of experience of putting humanity and community at the heart of business, health and social equity.
In a powerful talk on how it’s vital that we practise self-care, Tayo shared some poetry from Adrienne Maree Brown as a reminder to look after ourselves and each other.
Find out more about the Institute of Health Visiting and the work they do with families in the community.
Fathers’ Network Scotland promotes the physical, mental and emotional health of fathers in Scotland through strategic partnerships with organisations working with families. Check out their Facebook page and website.
Read more about Hello Brave and why it was founded.
