INSP Staffing

During INSP's face-to-face board meeting, Network Development Officer, Maree Aldam was promoted to Network Services Manager to reflect her increasing responsibilities over recent months.

In 2010 due to various funding successes, INSP is delighted to announce that 3 new staff will be hired, doubling INSP's current staff quota. These new positions will help to develop INSP's services to members and to expand its level of international activity and sustainability. The new positions will be: News Service Editor, African Regional Trainer and Marketing and Business Manager. All job descriptions will be advertised and circulated to members in due course.

INSP 2009 board meeting

Left to right - Joanne Zuhl, Trudy Vlok,
Lisa Maclean, Serge Lareault, Michaela
Gründler and Arkady Tyurin. Photo
courtesy of The Herald

The board of INSP meets with the Executive Director Lisa Maclean every month by telephone conference and twice each year for a face-to-face meeting. This week, our 5 board members from Russia, USA, Canada, South Africa and Austria met with INSP staff in Glasgow for an important 4 day planning meeting. Staff and board reviewed the work and finances for 2008 - 2009; redrafted strategies on fundraising and marketing & communication; evaluated projects and partnerships; and drafted a new business plan and strategy for 2010 - 2012.

INSP's intern programme

Over the summer, INSP has worked with 8 interns and volunteers on various projects. This month sees a change as SNS intern Eoghan Macguire leaves. Eoghan has been working on the SNS project since February, but left earlier this month to start a masters programme in journalism at Cardiff University. Replacing Eoghan this month is Franck Martin a freelance journalist and a recent politics graduate of Glasgow University.

We also say farewell this month to interns Hazel Ferguson and Neil Barclay who worked with INSP for 3 months on a fundraising project. INSP staff would also like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to our regular team of volunteer translators who work on translating SNS articles, SNS feed, monthly bulletins and other member communication. Click here to view our current staff, board and volunteers.

INSP at the Homeless World Cup

Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton
meeting Mel Young and some of the players

This year's Homeless World Cup took place in Milan from the 6th to the 13th of September. Ukraine were crowned this year's champions after defeating Portugal 5-4 in an exciting final. INSP staff Lisa Maclean and Maree Aldam spent 4 days at the event and met with representatives from 11 INSP street papers, who were there with their teams. Lisa and Maree also had meetings with 15 other individuals, to offer support for new or emerging street paper projects and promote the street paper concept.

SNS funding news

INSP recently learned that an independent media funding application made to the EU, in partnership with Inter Press Service (IPS) has been successful. INSP will be awarded some 400,000 Euros, over 3 years, as part of the 940,690 euro total. The project will focus on developing INSP's growing 'Street News Service' project and in particular encouraging the flow of development-related information from the global south to readers in Europe and beyond.

This is a huge development for INSP and a great outcome for our existing 2-year collaboration with IPS. The funding will mean exciting changes for the Street News Service: a new full-time staff person, new website and the development of a bold public face of our news service.