ATL

Welcome

Lesley Ward is national president of ATL

As I sat at the computer to write this column, I suddenly realised that I am almost halfway through my year as president.

Since I took over the role on 1 September last year I have, I think, been away from home for literally half the time. I have thoroughly enjoyed the last six months, but it has also made me appreciate the comforts of home a lot more.

I have represented ATL not only at home but abroad, and it always makes me feel very proud when I tell others about the union, what we stand for and the work we do.

I have also been privileged to visit many branches, and am looking forward to visiting many more. It is always enjoyable to chat to ATL members and find out what the issues are in different areas. There is a thread of common concerns, such as workload and job losses, but it is amazing to find some issues that are a burning topic in one area are not even mentioned in another. One thing that I have noticed is that branch meetings are attracting more of our younger members, which must be a good thing.

The highlight of ATL's year is, of course, the Annual Conference, where I will again meet many of the people that I enjoyed meeting on my travels around the country. This year, the Conference is in Manchester, and we have a very exciting programme.

We are a member-led organisation and our Conference certainly emphasises this. I always look forward to hearing lively debates and I am sure that this year will be no different. I have attended many different conferences in the past few years, but I still think ours is the best! You can find out more about this year's event and follow proceedings from 29-31 March on this website.

I am looking forward to the rest of the year, when I will hopefully be able to travel to branches in daylight and perhaps even some sunshine, and to meeting even more of ATL's members.