Cystic Fibrosis WA’s Future
Monday 21 September 2020
Western Australia has been fortunate to date, by escaping the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Others have not been so lucky. Whilst we need to maintain vigilance, we also need to look at operating in a post COVID world and we’re already seeing that it will be a very different operating environment to what it is today.
Thanks to swift and decisive action from the State and Federal Governments, CFWA has a small window of opportunity now, to better protect our members’ interests and position CFWA for future growth and sustainability.
Considering these challenges, CFWA has therefore been reviewing how it can continue to offer continued growth in services to its members, and meet the changing needs of people with CF as the numbers of adults continue to grow.
This communique is to reassure you, our members. We believe that we can continue to expand our revenue base to future-proof the organisation but to do that, we need your support.
This will necessitate changes to the constitution which the Board has approved and which we will ask you to vote on at a Special General meeting on 14 October 2020. Click here to RSVP to the Special General Meeting.
As a membership organisation, CFWA will always be under the control of its members. Our primary reason for being is and always will be, to provide services to people living with CF, their families and carers and to fund research into the condition. Our Vision of “Lives Unaffected by CF” will not change.
Through CFWA’s skills and expertise we have an opportunity to offer services to other respiratory conditions, groups like Primary Ciliary Dyskinesis (PCD) and Bronchiectasis, on a fee for service basis. This would build capacity and resilience, whilst profits from those services would be brought back into CF and help sustain the organisation and fund future growth in services and CF research.
To enable us to deliver services to these groups, changes need to be made to our constitution. Our Board has recommended changes to the constitution but you, our members, must approve them. Importantly, under the proposed changes non-CF clients would not be eligible to become members of CFWA but would be our customers.
The recommended changes to the constitution will be voted on by members on 14 October 2020. This tight time frame is to allow CFWA to work with the Health Department of WA as part of our contract renegotiation.
The Board is recommending this action after exploring a range of strategic options. The key objectives in the strategic process has been the long-term viability of CFWA and our ability to maintain and expand the services to people with CF and their families.
Special General Meeting
Please join us for our upcoming Special General Meeting, scheduled to take place on Wednesday 14 October 2020 at 6.30pm WST via Zoom.
Business of the Meeting
The meeting will consider the amendments to the Constitution and if thought fit, pass the following as a Special Resolution:
“That the Constitution of CFWA be amended as set out in the copy of the Constitution attached to the Notice of Special General Meeting dated 23 September 2020.”
Meeting Details
Date: Wednesday 14 October 2020
Time: 6:30pm WST
This meeting will be held online via Zoom.
For more information and to RSVP please click here.
Nigel Barker
CEO
Cystic Fibrosis WA