I was fortunate to have been invited to attend the opening of a new YMCA building in Spitak, Armenia, on the 8th May so I took this opportunity to visit several YMCAs and also give some training to senior volunteers and staff members from 5 local associations. I travelled from 28th April to 6th May, which also gave me some time to see a bit of the country too, accompanied by YMCA Europe staff member Vardan Hambardzumyan.
Over 110 people from 40 countries attended this year’s General Assembly which was held in the YMCA Training Centre in Litomysl, Czech Republic. The theme of the conference was “Now!”. It was the last in a series of three General Assemblies where we have concentrated on Resource Mobilisation. The theme was intended to reinforce the urgent need for all YMCAs to become better at raising resources to ensure their sustainability into the future.
Some time ago I – together with my wife and the Secretary General of Ukraine YMCA, Viktor Serbulov, and his wife and daughter – visited Gammalsvenskby (the English translation of the name would be Old Swedish Village). The visit we did on our way to Kiev after having had the annual meeting with Field Group Ukraine – for which I am the leader – in the Crimean peninsula.
GA will take place in the YMCA Europe Training Centre, Litomysl, Czech Republic May 12-16th, 2010. As usual the National Secretaries Conference will be prior to the Assembly, starting May 11 at 1300.