INDEPTH ‘‘
CILIP Midlands aims to grow members’ impact by opening-up conversations across the network, linking up with supporters and partners across all sectors... – David Byrne
Rob Green is Editor of Information Professional.
Joining forces for a sustainable future
CILIP Midlands Member Network was formed in June 2025 from the merger of CILIP West Midlands and CILIP East Midlands. CILIP Midlands is part of the regional support networks provided by CILIP, and here David Byrne talks to Rob Green about how the merger is setting new standards for the region.
CILIP’S Regional Member Networks provide a unique opportunity for members to explore CILIP’s community away from their own sector. As the name suggests, they deliver regional-based support to members as part of CILIP’s wider network, which includes its Special Interest Groups.
Earlier this year CILIP East Midlands and CILIP West Midlands Regional Member Networks merged, to form a single network covering the whole of the area. David Byrne, Interim Chair of the new CILIP Midlands Member Network, explains that CILIP West Midlands had suffered from a lack of volunteer capacity, and a merger with the more active East Midlands group would help lift some of the burden and provide a better service for members located in the West Midlands.
He said: “The rural nature of the Midlands, com- bined with smaller towns as well as cities can mean that working in the region brings its challenges, but the team feel that members deserve a consistent and quality experience no matter where they live, work or study. The regional networks certainly make CILIP less London-centric, but to grow and develop we need greater support, the correct tools and increased trust. “With declining numbers and the growing demands on everyone’s time it has been challenging to recruit and retain officers and committee members post-pandemic for both the CILIP West Midlands and CILIP East Midlands Regional Member Networks. Whilst CILIP West Midlands has been inactive for a number of years, CILIP East Midlands was able to use the Community Agreement 2024 to create a simple, sustainable approach.
“CILIP’s Regulations and Bye-Laws indicated Winter 2025
that we needed the majority of people on the two committees to agree to a merger, and following discussion at network meetings we carried out an email vote and secured unanimous support from CILIP East Midlands Committee members. A ques- tionnaire about merging CILIP East Midlands and CILIP West Midlands was sent to all members in the region. Responses were overwhelmingly supportive of the idea of a merger.”
That work to bring the two groups together was supported by CILIP staff, helping to create a new framework for how the network would operate. David says it was clear that a more streamlined set-up would bring benefits to all those involved. “We adopted a more fluid approach to sharing tasks across the team and abandoned the need for formal committee role titles, with the exception of chair and Treasurer. We also looked to create a smarter approach to the use of volunteer time and capacity. We were keen to resist the need for endless meetings. Offline asynchronous working allowed for a better use of time and a more inclusive and acces- sible approach to team activities.
“As a regional network we are taking greater owner- ship of our own destiny. The matrix structure which links-up special interest groups, networks and paid staff has definitely helped us to build regional capacity.”
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