Notice of IBMT's 2026 AGM

The IBMT's 2026 Annual General Meeting will be held in Glasgow on Saturday 10 October as part of a weekend of commemorative and social activities from 9-11 October.

PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME

Friday 9 October
4pm: Unveiling of a sculpture of Nelson Mandela in Nelson Mandela Place, G2 1QY.
8pm: Meet-and-greet at the Clutha & Victoria Bar, corner of Bridgegate and Stockwell Street, G1 5HZ. A number of tables have been reserved for the IBMT. 

Saturday 10 October
11am-11.40am: Ceremony at La Pasionaria Memorial, 286 Clyde Street, G1 4AL. Speakers will include Alison Campbell Glass, great-granddaughter of International Brigader George Drever, Dave Moxham, Deputy General Secretary of the Scottish TUC, IBMT Secretary Megan Dobney, IBMT Scotland Secretary Mike Arnott, and IBMT Trustee Dolores Long, who will read the farewell speech to the International Brigades given by Dolores Ibárruri (La Pasionaria) on 28 October 1938.
11.45am-12pm: Ceremony at Blockade Runners’ Memorial, corner of Glasgow Bridge and Broomielaw, where IBMT Chair Jim Jump will speak.
2pm-3.30pm: IBMT Annual General Meeting at the Unison Office, 1st Floor, 16 Albion Street, G1 1LH.
3.30pm-4.30pm: There will be two half-hour presentations in the main meeting room:
– Liam Turbett will talk about Chrissie Wallace, a Glasgow-born nurse. Chrissie joined her doctor husband in Spain to serve in the International Brigade hospital in Vic, where she died in a typhoid epidemic. She was the only Scottish woman to die in Spain. 
– Rob Macdonald will talk about the Solidarity Park Festival in Malgrat de Mar in Catalonia and the upcoming One Million Words against Fascism project. Next year will be the 90th anniversary of the sinking of the Ciudad de Barcelona – the event that inspired the creation of the Solidarity Park project. An international arts exhibition curated by Rob MacDonald will tour eight countries starting in December 2026, including Dundee, concluding at the Solidarity Park Festival on 29 May 2027.
7pm-8pm: Buffet hosted by RMT at Gracie’s Irish Centre, 16 Candleriggs, G1 1LD. Booking required.
8pm-10pm: Social at Gracie’s Irish Centre, with entertainment to include a full set by The Wakes and contributions from local poets.

Sunday 11 October
10am-11.30am: Working-class walking history tour of Glasgow. Meet at Glasgow City Chambers main entrance. Booking required.

REGISTRATION

Registration via Evenbrite is required for the Saturday evening buffet and social and the Sunday morning history tour. Email IBMT Scotland Secretary Mike Arnott for more information: scotland@international-brigades.org.uk

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Agenda
1. Chair’s opening remarks
2. Election of two scrutineers
3. Approval of the minutes of the 2025 AGM
4. Matters arising from the minutes not otherwise on the agenda
5. Executive Committee’s annual report
6. Finance report
a) 2025-26 accounts
b) Proposals on membership & finance
c) Proposals on fundraising
7. Motions
8. Election of four Executive Committee members for three years.
[the submission of ballot papers to be preceded by a one-minute
contribution from those candidates who wish to make one]* 
9. Any other business (previously notified)
10. Date and place of 2027 AGM
11. Scrutineers’ report of election results
12. Chair’s closing remarks
* As of 30 September, written nominations have been received and accepted for Paul Coles, Alex Gordon and Noelia Sánchez.

Proposals for agenda items under ‘Any other business’ must be received in writing by the Secretary (see email below) by 3 October. A final agenda will be published on the IBMT website soon afterwards.

Nominations
Nominations to fill four vacancies on the Executive Committee must be received in writing by the IBMT Secretary by 26 September. Send nominations to: secretary@international-brigades.org.uk

If necessary, a ballot will be held among members attending the AGM to elect the EC members. The four vacancies arise because David Chanter, Paul Coles, Alex Gordon and Jonathan Havard will have completed their terms of office by the AGM and they will therefore step down and an election, in which they are permitted to stand along with other IBMT members, will be held. All IBMT members may nominate fellow members to serve on the EC. The names of the candidates will be published on the IBMT website in advance of the AGM. 

Hotels (numbered in blue on the map):
1) [Withdrawn]
2) Mercure Glasgow City Hotel, 201 Ingram Street, Glasgow G1 1DQ.
3) Millenium Hotel, George Square, Glasgow G2 1DS.
4) Premier Inn Glasgow City Centre, 187 George Street, Glasgow G1 1YU.
5) The Z Hotel, 36 North Frederick Street, Glasgow G1 2BS.
6) Premier Inn Glasgow City Centre (St Enoch), 24 Howard Street, Glasgow G1 4AG.
7) Clayton Hotel, 298 Clyde Street, Glasgow G1 4NP.

Likely venues (yellow numbers):
1 & 7: Glasgow City Chambers
2: Pasionaria memorial
3: Blockade Runners memorial
4 & 5: Unison office
6: Gracie’s Irish Centre