Co-Chairs Foreword

Dear Members,

Over the past year, the Trustees have been engaged in a wide range of activities, including updating the GASi website, developing policies to safeguard the Society, and organising scientific events. At the Annual General Meeting (AGM), held online on 11 October, two new Trustees were appointed following a ballot. There were two vacancies – one for the position of Contexts Editor and one general position. We were pleased to welcome Mia Stenersen and Athena Chatjoulis. Since April, we have mourned the loss of Christopher Rance, Bob Hsiung, Earl Hopper, Nadia Benedetto and Alexey Koryoukin. Their contributions remain with us through their writing and in our collective memory.

It is almost essential to reflect on the recent past to understand the present. The year 2024 was marked by unprecedented circumstances that challenged our ability, as Trustees, to fulfil our responsibilities on the Management Committee (MC). Extreme and traumatic situations, both internal and external to GASi, had a significant impact on the Society as a whole.

On 6 June 2024, the MC was notified of the Charity Commission’s intention to issue an Official Warning to GASi. Several GASi members had raised complaints with the Commission. A meeting took place on 18 December 2024 between the Charity Commission, a legal representative, and the MC. The Trustees at that time were Mimmo Agresta, Francesca Bascialla, Julia Borossa, Farideh Dizadji, Viv Harte, Sanja Janovic, Fiona Parker, and Reem Shelhi.

During the meeting, twelve queries arising from the complaints were raised and discussed with the Commission. These concerned decision-making processes within the MC; the EDI and Code of Behaviour Working Group; election procedures and vacancies in 2022-24; reimbursement of Trustees’ expenses; the breach of the metal cabinet at the office and subsequent police advice (August 2024); the Serious Incident Report; the January 2024 MC minutes in which it was noted that Reem Shelhi had been interviewed by the police following a report made by a group of five members; a 2023 donation that was not accepted as it did not comply with GASi’s aims and purpose; complaints alleging that the MC had not complied with the Constitution; and concerns regarding financial risk and preservation of the Society’s reputation.

From early 2024, the MC worked closely with the Charity Commission and a solicitor to address incongruences in the Constitution and between the Constitution and the Delegated Authority Policy. The MC also developed several additional policies, including a Risk Register, Social Media Policy, GDPR/Privacy Policy, and secured an Information Commissioner’s Office subscription, as required under UK law.

On 2 December 2025, the Charity Commission confirmed that GASi’s regulatory case had been closed. This outcome means that the accusations made after the Hamas attacks of October 2023, the subsequent complaints, and the critical or offensive letters received by the MC from some members were found to have no bearing on whether the MC had fulfilled its duties appropriately. The MC acted in accordance with the Constitution and in the interest of protecting GASi’s reputation.

At the 2025 AGM, a motion to amend the Constitution-replacing the office of President with the offices of Chair and Deputy Chair, including their responsibilities, terms, and succession arrangements-was put to a vote. The motion was approved by 48 voting members, with 18 voting against and 1 abstention. Following the vote, some senior members requested additional time to reflect on this significant change. The discussion will therefore continue within the Monthly Reflective Members’ Group and at the Seasonal Gathering. These reflective spaces were created to consider the co-chair structure introduced in 2023, when no nominations were received for the presidency and the AGM agreed to continue with two co-chairs.

We warmly invite all members to join us in dialogue about how best to support our Society and advance its aims – most importantly, the enhancement of psychological health in its broadest sense and across diverse contexts.

Francesca G. Bascialla & Sanja Janovic