Making a difference: the latest stories from our Members

From youth outreach to funding competitions, Arts Society Members around the country – and beyond – are making a difference through their Societies.

Sean Moran: The Arts Society Nadder Valley

‘I wanted to create a Society that was fundamentally different,’ Sean, Chair of The Arts Society Nadder Valley, explains. When he launched the Society in 2018, his vision was for a membership-led Society, with a focus on providing entertaining and educative lectures and a desire to offer ‘something for everyone’. The Society’s approach has already got it noticed, scooping second prize in the Society Committee Award category of the Marsh Awards 2019.

But Sean is determined to do more to raise the profile of The Arts Society, particularly among younger people. His Society is in the process of introducing family membership, with programmes for parents and children. For Sean, it’s his fellow Members that make his time so rewarding. ‘The Arts Society has created such devotion from its membership – some have been Members for decades; what Patricia Fay started is remarkable.’

Roo Irvine: The Arts Society Lomond and Argyll

Not everyone can balance a career as a BBC TV presenter while running an antiques shop and holding a committee position at The Arts Society, but Roo is not afraid of a challenge. An antiques expert on shows including the BBC’s Antiques Road Trip and Bargain Hunt, and the owner of Kilcreggan Antiques, Roo came across The Arts Society following a recommendation from a friend. Learning about our wider outreach work has been particularly enlightening. ‘As a committee member, I’ve realised just how much The Arts Society does for the community. From grants to Young Arts projects, it’s an organisation that gives back so much.’ She is keen to diversify her local Society and attract younger members. ‘I feel blessed to have found The Arts Society and want to make sure it continues to thrive for years to come.’

‘While we have evolved over the decades, our ethos of enriching lives through the arts has remained constant’

Jo Ward: Area Chair for Mainland Europe

‘The Arts Society is a lifeline for many people,’ Jo Ward says. In between working as a freelance writer, Jo is the Area Chair for Mainland Europe, a position that involves overseeing the 15 Arts Societies in Europe. She came across The Arts Society shortly after moving to Spain, when she was completing a humanities degree with The Open University. Looking for cultural activities in her area, she thought it would ‘complement her studies’.

While The Arts Society has introduced her to new aspects of the arts, it has also enabled her to meet people with interests similar to hers. In her previous role as Chair of her local Society, The Arts Society de la Frontera, Jo helped to organise Young Arts projects, including funding art competitions for local schools. ‘The initiatives have been hugely rewarding, and have helped us to connect and feel part of the wider community,’ she says. 

Gordon Hewitt: Recipient of The Arts Society Gold Award

We couldn’t run this feature without a salute to Gordon, one of our longest-standing Members, who sadly died in April, aged 100, not long after our interview with him. A talented linguist, former rugby referee, gardening enthusiast and export director at Spode, Gordon helped found what is now The Arts Society North Staffordshire. In 1992, he also founded the Church Recording group for that Society, spending more than three decades documenting the contents of the region’s churches.

He described to us how he’d lost count of the church towers he’d climbed. Fellow Members tell us that he was still doing so at age 99, when he was up the bell tower at St Edward’s in Cheddleton to aid their efforts. Last year his Society, Regional Chairs and our National Chair, Julie Goldsmith, came together for Gordon’s 100th birthday celebrations. He was presented with a Gold Award to mark his service to The Arts Society. ‘He was a shining light and example to us all,’ says Margaret Thompstone, Chair of The Arts Society North Staffordshire. 

With more than 90,000 members worldwide and over 380 Societies, our membership brings all sorts of people together. During this year of global anxiety, we are calling on our community to support each other and spread positivity.

Using the hashtag #MyArtsSociety, write a Facebook status, post a Tweet, take a picture for Instagram or email magazine@theartssociety.org revealing just how The Arts Society has impacted your life for the better. To get us started, here is a selection of stories from people in different areas of our great organisation.

Elizabeth Oliver is a freelance writer