International Emergency Team UK [IETUK] ## **AGM Minutes 2024 – 11[th] December 2024** [at Saji’s, Gateshead, 6- 7.30 p.m.] Attendees [Trustees only]: Mehrban Sadiq (Chair), Richard Kotter (General Secretary *), Nasir Jamil (Treasurer), Dr Iqbal Syeed, Dr Naveed Anwar * Apologies: Daryl Oprey, Mohammad Ali, Iris Weber, Lt. Col. Andy Black ! , Stuart Errington ! - _new / changed positions / roles post-2024 AGM_ - _! national advisors, as opposed to Trustees_ After a welcome from the Chair, Mehrban Sadiq as Chair of the International Emergency Team UK presented a round-up and up-date of 2024 activities. Mehrban Sadiq and Richard Kotter had earlier in the day met up to review this list. These follow now in bullet-points below, with key information and comments, as given verbally to the AGM. Please note also that there have been, consistently, quarterly [in-person] Trustee meetings of IETUK in 2024. One of these was held at Tyneside Cinema, with a welcome address to IETUK by their CEO. - (Annual) compulsory training (‘world workshop’) by Charity Commission England & Wales attended by Mehrban Sadiq and Dr Iqbal Syed as IETUK Trustees for IETUK in Birmingham in February 2024 - On the way back from there to Newcastle upon Tyne, Mehrban and Iqbal had – by invitation – a strategic engagement meeting with BME councillors of Birmingham City Council who wanted to know more about IETUK, and wanted to talk about collaboration prospects for 2025 [e.g. Muslim Hands [MH] charity in Mirpur in AJK/Pakistan collaborating with Rescue 1122 [a key IETUK partner] on Disaster Health Pharmacy and Disaster Management initiatives; Cllr Waseen Zafer (Birmingham), Founder of Clear Air Justice – Solid Waste Management project there. - IETUK was represented – by invite – through Mehrban and Richard at FireAid House of Lords Charity Dinner in March 2024; excellent networking across the UK FRS and corporate and local authority sectors. - IETUK was represented [though various Trustees and Members] at ‘Breaking the Fast’ / IFTAR events at St. James Cathedral [Anglican, but ecumenical and cross-faith for this event] in Newcastle upon Tyne and also at St James Park [Newcastle Football Club, City of Newcastle upon Tyne] organised by the Dialogue Society – North East of England branch. - Richard presented IETUK by invitation of their Chair [Mr Khan] at the formal launch of a Coventry-based charity (Anwaar-Ul Mustafaa Trust) doing rural development & poverty alleviation work in Bangladesh in Coventry in June 2024. - Iqbal and Mehrban represented IETUK at the UNISON national conference (international), on a shared table with Show Racism the Red Card, in Brighton in June 2024. - Mehrban Sadiq represented IETUK at Kim McGuiness North East Mayoral Combined Authority electrical celebration at Tyneside Cinema in July 2024. - The Deputy Mayor of Mirpur District in AJK as well as the AJK President’s National Media Advisor visited IETUK in Newcastle upon Tyne [Mehrban] on the 22[nd] of July 2024 – and was updated on the strong and ongoing partnership of IETK with Aquabox charity (based in Derbyshire and working internationally) - Mehrban represented IETUK at the Asian Fire Service Association [AFSA] – a UK-wide staff network within UK Fire and Rescue Services – at their national summer conference in Nottingham on the 23[rd] of July 2024. - In mid-August 2024 [15[th] ], IETUK played – coordinated and planned through Mehrban and Naveed – a key role in coordinating and staging, in collaboration with the North East Pakistani Association and with a charitable facilities discount from Newcastle City Council for the Civic Centre Banqueting Hall, a Pakistan Independence Day & Family Celebration event with 450+ attendees over the day. Excellent and extensive feedback was received, including by civic / public sector leaders (police, NHS etc.) and VIPs who were invited and attended. - Following this, Mehrban went down by invitation in August 2024 to present IETUK way of working and focus activities & impact stories to a Superintendent/Chief Inspector and team at Birmingham / West Midlands Police Force who are supporting the opening of a new charitable hospital in AJK. - On the 6[th] of September, Mehrban attended with Iqbal by invitation a charity dinner in Birmingham [BIK Retreat – Barack in Kindness] who are supporting charitable hospitals and kidney treatment support in AJK. - On the 12[th] of September 2024 an appreciation & certificates presentation was held by IETUK for the key – and especially young – helpers for the Pakistan Independence Day & Family Celebration event (with free food also). - IETUK was represented – by invitation – with a full table at the Asian Business Connexion North East Annual Award Dinner on the 17[th] of October 2024. - An IETUK team was invited to, and made it to, the International Rescue Challenge organised and hosted by Rescue 1122 at their Emergency Services Academic in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan which was attended by teams both across all over Pakistan but more importantly also internationally with 12 countries participation with teams on the 21[st] – 22[nd] October 2024; IETUK was part of Team 11 [Great Britain], and also actively participated in the South East Asia & pacific Disaster Management Exercise under the auspices, coordination and direction/supervision of the United Nations Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG). “Pakistan is the 5th most populous country in the world with diverse topography having highest mountain ranges in the North and Arabian Sea in the South, as a result of which we face diverse nature of emergencies and disasters. This led to the development of an integrated Emergency Services in Pakistan, as a result of which millions of emergency victims have been provided with the right to timely professional emergency care without discrimination. In order to share this diverse experience, improve coordination, sharing of knowledge and best practices of international emergency services, International Rescue Challenge has been organized in the Emergency Services Academy centrally located in the historic city of Lahore, Pakistan from 21-22 October, 2024. - Height Rescue Challenge - Deep Well Rescue Challenge Confined Space Extrication Challenge Trauma Challenge Fitness Challenge https://rescue.gov.pk/International-Rescue-Challenge-2024 - On the 9[th] of November 2024, Mehrban met up by request with the Operations Manager [Roger] of Aquabox charity – one of our key delivery partners. The partnership is and stays strong, and will be fully effective and perhaps even still grow during 2025. - IETUK was represented at the AFSA winter national conference in November hosted by Avon FRS in Bath on the 12[th] of November 2024. - IETUK was shortlisted for an award in the ‘Best International Collaboration’ (for the second year running) at the “Excellence in Fire & Emergency Awards 2024”, held at the Institution of Civil Engineering in London on the 6th of December. Mehrban, Iqbal and Nasir went in-person. “FIRE magazine publisher Fire Knowledge was pleased to present the tenth annual Excellence in Fire & Emergency Awards, which are growing in popularity each year. With over 150 nominations in 2023 the awards recognise the very best in the fire and emergency services. _FIRE_ Magazine are proud to showcase the work of our fire and emergency services in the tenth anniversary edition of the Excellence in Fire & Emergency Awards, an opportunity to celebrate the selfless dedication of everyday unsung heroes. This year’s nominees were of the highest possible standard with a huge number of entrants on the long list. This year’s nominees are the strongest yet and it is testament to the work of fire and emergency services that the standard continues to rise. _FIRE_ Editor Andrew Ledgerton-Lynch OBE said: “We are delighted to announce the tenth anniversary shortlist, which reflects the wide array of activities undertaken by dedicated fire and rescue personnel. It is incredibly important that we recognise and celebrate the exceptional contribution of personnel under the most trying circumstances. ‘It is humbling to introduce these awards each year and I’m delighted I get to spend time with our wonderful nominees. The standard of entries this year has been exceptional yet again and the judges were hugely impressed by all of our entries.’ “ https://fre-magazine.co.uk/fnalists-announced-for-the-10thanniversary-of-the-excellence-in-fre-emergency-awards-2024 We think or are informally told we lost out on narrowly – as last year – and so likely will go again for this. In the meantime, we will use our connections made at these events and the jury’s knowledge about us to further our reach and strategic objectives in 2025. From August of 2024 onwards, IETUK organised, in association with the Pakistani Association North East, Litter Picking in communities in the North East of England [including in Newcastle, Sunderland and Stockton-on-Tees [there with one of the Mosques and local business community to explain how IETUK works and its focus internationally and impactful donations to improve disaster resilience in South East Asia]. IETUK also began, again in partnership with the North East Pakistani Association, free food distribution to the homeless and hungry in key areas of Newcastle upon Tyne (so far). _Going forward into 2025, IETUK will help & facilitate with AJK Mountain and Water Search and Rescue training._ _IETUK will also help with two new hospitals in AJK / TOBA TEK SINGH with expertise and supplies / equipment where we can or convince others to do so._ _This will include paramedic/ambulance motorbikes for AJK province of Pakistan, where West Midlands Police has pledged to fund [about £1400 each per bike with all equipment] 1, West Midlands Business Association (Birmingham and Wolverhampton) 3, and IETUK 1. The AJK provincial government has pledged to fund an additional 10. [This is building on the success of a pilot which IETUK funded two years ago for a charitable rural hospital’s outreach department run by our partner the HOPE Welfare Trust, and which we also evaluated More to be discussed & updated on at the first quarterly IETUK Trustee Meeting in 2025._ Treasurer Nasir Jamil then presented our positive / healthy IETUK financial [excluding in-kind and non-financial transactions] accounts since the last AGM. There was a brief update on IETUK’s new website, cybersecurity, and a good discussion, including over focus and strategy for 2025 for IETUK. There was also nominations & elections for new and continuing Trustee positions at this AGM: **Mehrban Sadiq** will stay by full mutual consent as **Chair of IETUK** . **Dr Naveed Anwar** is elevated by full mutual consent to the level of **Trustee** . Dr Naveed Anwar is also taking over from Richard Kotter as **General Secretary** . **Richard Kotter** is staying on as a Trustee, and will become one of two **Vice-Chair** s of IETU. **Daryl Oprey** is staying on as a **Trustee** , and also as a (joint) **ViceChair.** **Nasir Jamil** is continuing as **Trustee and Treasurer.** **Dr Iqbal Syed** is staying on as a **Trustee** [education & strategy remit]. **Mohammad Ali** is staying on as a **Trustee** [training & business development remit]. **Iris Weber** is staying on as a Trustee [European / international / Brussels rep]. In addition [but not as Trustees]: **Ex Chief Fire Officer Stuart Errington is staying on as IETK National Advisor.** **Lt Col Andrew Black, Army Head of Engagement NE and Yorkshire is staying on as IETUK National Advisor.** Afterwards there was a well-attended and convivial social event with IETUK supporters, where Trustees updated Supporters and Friends of IETUK, and answered public questions and social media filming was also done by a journalist / cameraman. **END**