Cancellation of the 2020 Tristan Annual Gathering
The Tristan da Cunha Association committee regrets to announce the cancellation of the 2020 Annual Gathering planned for Saturday 18th April at the Southampton Holiday Inn due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Some Association business will still be conducted, but by email / post instead of in person at the gathering. See below under Annual General Meeting.
Our event placed us in the highest order of risk due to a number of factors:
- Members had planned to fly from Scotland, Netherlands, Switzerland and Spain so it was an international event that could have extended the virus spread.
- Many members are in the most vulnerable group in terms of age and health.
- The hotel itself specialises in catering for an international clientele many of whom are cruise ship passengers who are also at a high risk of contracting the virus.
- Government modelling shows that coronavirus cases will increase and may reach a peak in mid-April.
We considered postponing the event until later in the year, but this was rejected as the likely duration of the pandemic is unknown and a date that would suit everybody would be difficult to fix. Instead we will concentrate on planning for next year's Annual Gathering which is likely to be arranged again on the Saturday after Easter, i.e. Saturday 10th April 2021.
If you have already booked...
The Holiday Inn have been informed and will expect cancellations of accommodation booked by members. The direct line to reception is: 02380 388142.
Regarding money already paid for tickets, there are two options:
- Members wanting a refund of money paid for tickets will be repaid in full as soon as possible. Please email Secretary Jim Kerr secretary@tristandc.com with your bank account Sort Code and Number for a direct bank transfer.
- Unless we hear otherwise, members' payments will be carried over for their 2021 tickets. We would guarantee no extra charge should prices rise for that event.
Please be patient in this process and we remind members that all officers carry out their jobs on a voluntary basis.
Annual General Meeting
It is important for the Tristan da Cunha Association to function efficiently and in that regard, we have decided to conduct an on-line and postal AGM during April. Financial and other reports will be made available on the website and sent by email / post. Members will be asked to vote to accept reports and to approve the constitution as well as any other relevant proposals. The consultation process for the new constitution has now ended and a final version will be made available which incorporates some minor changes, including those proposed by the Tristan da Cunha Island Council. We are confident that this unprecedented on-line / postal AGM will actually give a much wider opportunity for members across the world to participate in making key decisions about the future of the Tristan Association.