Minutes of Proceedings

Present:
Sammy Douglas MLA Chair
Maeve McLaughlin MLA Deputy Chair
Sandra Overend MLA
Mark Durkan MLA
Seamus McAleavey NICVA

In Attendance:
Susie Brown Secretary
Louise Close Deputy Secretary
Dr Gareth McGrath Director, NIA
Maria Bannon Equality Officer, NIA
Maria Magennis Note Taker, NIA

Apologies:
Chris Lyttle MLA
Avila Kilmurray Community Foundation NI
John Stewart Director, NIA
Stephanie Mallon Outreach, NIA

1. Apologies

Apologies are noted above.

Declaration of interests

No members declared an interest in relation to the agenda items.

2. Minutes of the meeting held on 19 February 2013

Agreed: The minutes of the above meeting were agreed.

3. Matters Arising

Sandra Overland MLA was welcomed as the full time replacement to Robin Swann MLA.

It was noted that Michael Hughes has been made redundant from Rural Community Network as part of their restructuring process. Kate Clifford from RCN will be taking up his role on ACC Advisory Group. The Chair informed the Advisory Group members that he wrote to Mr Hughes on behalf of ACC to thank him for all his valuable input into the development of ACC.

Ms Brown indicated that she will brief the Clerking and Reporting Directorate on ACC for them to formally agree on the role that committees will have with this Advisory Group.

4. Mission and Logo

Agreed: The draft Vision, Mission and Aims were agreed without amendment.

5. ACC Launch Plans

Ms Brown updated the advisory group that the official launch of ACC would take place on Tuesday 21st May 2013 in Parliament Buildings. Ms Brown proposed that the format of the event would consist of short, sharp presentations by a range of stakeholders, highlighting what AAC will do and how outside groups can get involved. Ms Brown asked members to contact her with any input they have regarding the format of this event.
Ms McLaughlin asked questions regarding the structure of the event and who would be contacted to attend and speak at it. Mr McAleavey said that the event should have plenty of substance to allow attendees to go away thinking about what they could do to get involved. Mr McAleavey said that he would be able to widely distribute invitations or 'save the date' emails to a range of contacts in the voluntary and community sectors.

Agreed: Ms Brown would seek members input and draft an event plan.

6. ACC Training Events:

Ms Close updated the group on recent training events and indicated that the next event following the launch of ACC would have a large focus.

7. Requests for Sports Events:

Ms Brown updated the group on the two sporting events requests and asked that they be approved. The Chairperson asked if MLAs could receive an email in advance of these events encouraging them to come along.

Agreed: Both sporting events were approved and the organisers would be notified.
Agreed: MLAs to receive an email prior to each sporting event.

8. Protocol for requests from external organisations:

Ms Brown spoke on a paper outlining protocols associated with ACC partnering with external organisations. Following a discussion with the members, it was agreed that this protocol should be implemented with the provision for annual review.

Agreed: Protocol agreed subject to annual review.

9. Outreach attendance at external events

This was noted by the Advisory Group.

10. Introduction and development of a fellowship programme
Ms Brown and Ms Close updated the group that a submission had been submitted to the Speaker, requesting that he would take part in ACC Fellowship Partnership. The group were told that the Speaker had agreed to participate.

Meeting suspended due to Assembly vote at 17.35

Meeting resumed at 17.54

11. Planned activities for April and May 2013

Ms Close updated the group on upcoming visits and activities and in particular highlighted the Balmoral Show event taking place in May 2013. Ms Close told the group that they had taken on feedback from previous years and were improving the format of the event to accommodate this.

12. Any Other Business

No items raised under AOB.

13. Date and Time of next meeting

Tuesday 11th June 2013 at 5.00pm

Meeting finished at 17.58.