AGM 2026 It's nearly that time again, when we invite our members to get involved in the direction of the charity by attending our Annual General Meeting (AGM)! 2026's AGM will be held online on Saturday 4 July 2026, with the session opening from 09.45 and starting promptly at 10.00 - 11.30 GMT, using Zoom. Instructions on how to join can be found below. Following a successful online AGM last year, and the opportunity for members to join from all over the UK, we have again decided to keep our AGM separate to our Member Get Togethers, and make it virtual. After the formal business of the Annual General Meeting, we are thrilled to announce that we will be welcoming Dr Punith Kempegowda, Assistant Professor at the University of Birmingham and Dr Amanda Ling, QEH Birmingham, who will provide an update on their research looking at how adrenal crisis can be better managed within A&E departments. This is a study strongly supported by the ADSHG, who have also awarded the £10,000 John Wass Research Grant to Dr Kempegowda and Dr Ling, to support their important work. Following their presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions. Why attend an AGM? The Agenda - what can I expect from the meeting? Presentation by Dr Kempegowda & Dr Ling: research study on adrenal crisis care in A&E Panellist and Trustee Profiles Register to attend Proxy Voting Reporting on 2025 Not yet a member? Not sure how Zoom works? FAQs To join us for the AGM and presentation, please register as soon as possible using the button below. The deadline for registration is Saturday 20 June 2026. Register to attend Why attend an AGM? Transparency You can gain insights into our operations, financial health, and strategic direction. This helps you to feel reassured that we are working to support your needs. Engagement 'Meet' with our committed trustees who set the course for the charity, ask them questions, or let them know your opinions. Help us to better understand your needs and help us to shape our services to meet those needs. Decision Making Get involved in key decisions affecting the ADSHG, such as approving financial statements, electing trustees, and discussing future plans. Compliance An AGM is a requirement outlined in our charity's governing documents. We work hard to make it as relevant to you as it can be, so it is a benefit of your membership, not a chore. What can I expect from the meeting? We have put together an agenda that balances the needs of the AGM with the opportunity for our members to ask questions of our expert panel, and a chance for you to get a feel for what the charity is involved in at the moment. Overview Agenda 09.45: Zoom meeting room opens. Please join us in good time to test your connection. 10.00: Welcome and Introduction (Dom Hargreaves, Chair of Trustees) 10.05: Annual General Meeting: order of business can be found in the FAQ section below 10.40: Comfort break (10 mins) 10.50: Presentation by Dr Kempegowda & Dr Ling 11.10: Questions from the audience 11.20: Closing comments (Dom Hargreaves, Chair of Trustees) Rapid Evaluation and Surveillance of Critical Urgencies in Endocrinology (RESCUE): Adrenal Crisis We are thrilled that Dr Punith Kempegowda and Dr Amanda Ling will be joining us at our 2026 AGM, to share with us their research proposal and progress to date. RESCUE is a national project aiming to establish structured surveillance models for endocrine emergencies, beginning with adrenal crisis and hyponatraemia (abnormally low sodium levels in the blood). These are high-risk but under-recognised conditions that are associated with both significant morbidity (suffering as a result of a health condition) and mortality (a risk of death). Despite the existence of clinical guidelines for adrenal crisis management (NICE Guidelines for the Identification and Management of Adrenal Insufficiency), there are widespread variations in quality of hospital care across the UK for adrenal insufficiency patients in adrenal crisis, and very little auditing or feedback mechanisms that could help improve the quality and consistency of services. The RESCUE study seeks to address this gap by: Creating scalable, cloud-based data collection platforms for routine clinical audit. Capturing patient and clinician experiences to inform person-centred improvements. Developing educational interventions using SIMBA (a simulation-based medical initiative) and CoMICs (another medical education initiative creating bite-sized videos) to enhance knowledge and consistency of care. This initiative has the potential to improve patient outcomes and support a national learning health system model in endocrinology and the ADSHG are proud to have awarded this research study the 2026 Professor John Wass Research Grant (£10,000) in June of this year. Following the presentation, you will have an opportunity to ask questions relating to this research and adrenal crisis management in hospitals. Panelist and Trustee Profiles Dominic Hargreaves MBE (Chair of Trustees) Dom was diagnosed with Addison’s disease in 2004, after a three-year battle with a variety of “illnesses” all whilst operating in Army roles in remote, hostile and austere areas of the world, with little continuity of medical care. Diagnosis led him to leave the military in pursuit of a new career in business and engineering. Dom volunteered to join the board because the charity enabled him to recover his confidence to live my life to the full, after diagnosis, through the online forum, events and informal gatherings of people living with adrenal insufficiency. He was elected trustee in 2019 and chair in 2022. Dom is standing for re-election this year. Stuart Pinkerton (Treasurer) Stuart has been a Dental Surgeon for over 35 years, working in Scotland and Australia before settling in Oxfordshire in 1990, where he continues to run a successful practice and business. He has been involved in other charities, including again as Treasurer and as a fundraiser. A family member was diagnosed with Addison's disease in 2011, and Stuart joined ADSHG at that time, and was last re-elected to your board in 2024. Christine (Chris) Walters Married and based in South Wales, Chris has three sons, one of whom was diagnosed with Addison's disease in 2018 after a period of feeling very unwell. She joined us immediately whilst her son was an inpatient being stabilised on his meds, as she needed to know more about his condition. She shares: "knowledge is power' and that the help and support that I received as a Mum was invaluable". This experience makes Chris a powerful advocate for the patient on the board, and for the charity more widely. Chris was last re-elected to your board in 2023. Robert McClements Robert is a banking professional who has successfully led teams in that complex environment, working in challenging corporate situations where leadership and organisational skills are paramount. We are fortunate to have such knowledge and experience available to the charity at board level. Robert's daughter is affected by Addison's disease, and he was last re-elected to your board in 2023. Katie Harris Katie is originally from Ireland, but currently resides in Portugal. She was diagnosed with Addison's disease in 2021 following an adrenal crisis whilst working as a nurse. This journey - adapting to life as a young person with a lifelong diagnosis - has made Katie realise the importance of support and education, to be able to make the most of life and move on. Katie joined your board in 2024 and in particular, wants to advocate for young people to know that having this diagnosis doesn’t have to limit their dreams. Whether you want to travel, start a business, or live your life to your full potential, you can achieve your goals with the right support, mindset and preparation! She was last elected to your board in 2024. Dr Alessandro Prete Dr Alessandro Prete completed his training in Endocrinology and Diabetes in Rome, Italy. Since 2018, he has been a Diabetes UK Sir George Alberti Research Fellow in the Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research at the University of Birmingham, UK, and an Honorary Consultant Endocrinologist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. His research focuses on functioning adrenal tumours, cortisol excess and novel therapies for adrenal insufficiency, combining clinical trials and experimental medicine studies. Alessandro was elected as a trustee in July 2022 and brings an incredible depth of medical and scientific knowledge to the team. He is standing for re-election as a trustee this year. He also sits on the ADSHG Clinical Advisory Panel. Lisa Shepherd (RN) Lisa is an Endocrinology Advanced Nurse Practitioner at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and a Clinical Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham. Within this role, she manages the case load of patients with endocrine disorders, runs nurse-led clinics and supports the Consultant and other multidisciplinary clinics. This includes diagnosis and performing dynamic function tests, treatment, management and education of patients with long-term, highly complex needs. She has worked in endocrinology since 1999 with a special interest in adrenal insufficiency. She is currently lead Advanced Nurse Practitioner at HSG, now part of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and an active member of the Society for Endocrinology Nurse Committee. She collaborates with other Endocrine nurse organisations globally, working to improve nurse education and patient care. Lisa was elected to the board in 2019, and her clinical experience has proved invaluable to us ever since. She is standing for re-election as a trustee this year. Martin Hendry Martin lives in Glasgow with his wife Cheryl and two children, Ava and Noah. He was diagnosed with Addison's disease in 2021 following illness and an undiagnosed adrenal crisis. Adapting to life with long-term chronic illness, whilst trying to raise a family and work full-time, has been a big challenge. ADSHG was a great resource for support and helped him adjust to life with Addison’s. He was elected to the board in 2024 and says: “I want to help others who are going through a similar journey. As a member of the board and as a Scottish representative, I want to promote the great work of this charity and help support our Scottish members in particular.” Tom Barnes Tom is a Civil Servant in a central government department and brings experience leading teams across a range of health and complex regulatory policy areas. Tom says: “The Addison's Disease Self-Help Group provided me with invaluable support when I had a temporary form of adrenal insufficiency a few years ago. I’m pleased to join the ADSHG as a trustee, and look forward to working with the staff and volunteers here to support others with Addison’s disease and adrenal insufficiency and their families” Tom was elected to the board in 2025. He brings his skills in policy, strategy and cross-sector working to support the work at the ADSHG. Ryan Richardson Ryan is an Associate Director of Business Operations with broad experience across strategy, planning, legal and compliance, IT, data and digital, and internal audit. He was diagnosed with Addison's disease in 2018 in 'crisis', after two years of feeling unwell. It took him a few years to really start to feel like himself again and felt very supported by the charity during this time. Ryan is looking to be elected for his first term with the charity at this year's AGM. Your vote matters The existing trustees are unanimously asking ADSHG members to vote in favour of all ten resolutions being presented at this meeting. Register to attend Register to join our AGM via Zoom Register (you will be sent a link to the meeting on registration) Proxy Voting If you wish to vote on the resolutions but are unable to attend the 2026 AGM, then you can cast your votes by proxy online. To do this, please click on the secure link below. Vote by Proxy Your vote must be received by 5pm on Friday 3 July 2026 to be counted. The chair will cast your vote at the meeting on your behalf, as you instruct. Please note that for you to be able to vote, you must be a member and payment of your annual membership fee must be up to date. Reporting on 2025Trustees' Annual Report and Accounts (2025) Not yet a member? Our AGM is a member event - just one of the many benefits of an ADSHG membership, along with access to our member-only online forum, our welcome pack and our bi-annual magazine. Be an active part of the Addison's and adrenal insufficiency community - together we are stronger! Join the ADSHG If you can't afford membership at this time, please apply for free Sponsored Membership. Not sure how Zoom works? If you are unsure about how to use Zoom to join our online AGM, you may want to read through the Zoom Webinar User Guide. FAQs 1. Can I leave and re-enter the Zoom? You are able to leave, but unfortunately you are not then able to re-enter, so if you are just nipping away for a couple of minutes, don't formally exit the webinar. Please bear with us if you are in the waiting room initially, we are a very small team running a busy event! 2. I can't attend now, will there be AGM recordings? We hope to provide on-demand recordings on the forum after the event for those unable to attend. However, we are dependant on the technology working for us on the day for this to be possible. We will also be providing a full round-up in our next members' magazine! So keep an eye on your letterbox for our next bumper packed edition! 3. What will be covered in the AGM section of the event (which will take approx. 35 mins)? Apologies for absence from trustees Resolution 1: To approve the minutes of the 2025 AGM Highlights of the Trustee's Report (Dom Hargreaves, Trustee and Chair) Finance Report (Stuart Pinkerton, Trustee and Treasurer) Summary of the charity’s plans for 2026 and 2027 (Cathy Thompson, Director) Members’ questions regarding the charity’s activities and accounts Resolution 2: To accept the Trustees’ Report & Accounts for 2025 Resolution 3: To re-appoint Mercer Lewin as independent financial examiner for 2026 Resolution 4: To ratify the appointment of Ryan Richardson as a trustee for a first 3-year term Resolution 5: To ratify the appointment of Benjamin Ducaseau as a trustee for a first 3-year term Resolution 6: To re-appoint Christine Walters as a trustee for a second 3-year term Resolution 7: To re-appoint Robert McClements as a trustee for a third 3-year term Resolution 8: To approve a vote of thank to Dr Alessando Prete for his valuable contribution and service to the charity over the last 6 years as he steps down from the board. We are grateful to benefit from his continued support via our Clinical Advisory Panel. Chair's closing remarks (Dom Hargreaves, Trustee and Chair) Whether you're newly diagnosed or have lived with the condition for years - please join our community and support our cause! You'll receive the latest expert advice, guidance and ADSHG news, whilst being part of our inspiring and supportive community. Become a member today! Join the ADSHG Connect on social media! Follow us on X/Twitter, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok and YouTube Manage Cookie Preferences