The Executive Officers of NEPOMAK UK would like to take this opportunity to wish our compatriots a Happy New Year, with health and happiness. Concluding this difficult year for all, with the pleasant news of a vaccination to protect us from Coronavirus, fills us with hope that 2021 will enable us to connect young Cypriots as we have traditionally done, but also reconnect with our family members and friends, especially with our παππούdesand γιαγιάdes who were most at risk during the pandemic. The bond our members have with their grandparents is often how young Cypriots are introduced to Cypriot culture, history and traditions. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who lost a loved one during the pandemic. We urge all those who are invited to get vaccinated to do so as soon as possible, to protect the ones we love and cherish.
2020 will certainly be remembered as a year that caused a lot of stress, pain and fear, but also as a year that brought us all together. We are extremely grateful to our 60+ volunteers, who were there for the elderly and vulnerable, collecting and delivering groceries and prescriptions, but also all those who helped us to continue connecting young Cypriots virtually. Our community also came together to protest the unacceptable, illegal and provocative actions of Turkey in Varosi. NEPOMAK UK, will continue to work closely with the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, the High Commission of the Republic of Cyprus in the UK, and other community organisations to speak up against the ongoing injustice on our island and redouble our efforts towards a free, united Cyprus with no occupation troops, no anachronistic guarantees and no foreign influence.
Annual General Meeting
On Sunday 6th December 2020, NEPOMAK UK hosted its Annual General Meeting (AGM) virtually via Zoom, due to the unfortunate developments of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the AGM, NEPOMAK UK reviewed the previous term (Dec 2019 – Dec 2020) and provided a forecast for 2021.
The NEPOMAK UK members were joined by guest speaker, the Consul General of the High Commission of the Republic of Cyprus in the UK, Mr Theodoros Gotsis, who provided attendees with an update on current affairs in Cyprus. Greetings were also offered by his Excellency the High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus in the UK, Mr Andreas Kakouris, as well as the President of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, Mr Christos Karaolis. They both paid tribute to the members and leadership of NEPOMAK UK, for the work they have done this year during a global pandemic, to continue connecting young Cypriots despite the difficulties, but also for giving back to older generations, who were shielding due to COVID-19.
While reviewing the previous term, NEPOMAK UK President Constantine Alexandrou said that despite the challenges posed by the global health crisis, 2020 was a very successful year for NEPOMAK UK; having run an event or initiative every month and thanked the committee, volunteers and members for all their hard work, dedication and support.
At the beginning of the year, NEPOMAK UK hosted a team building workshop in which members set goals and objectives for the 2020 calendar. In February, NEPOMAK UK members had an exclusive opportunity to explore ancient Cyprus, during an event at the British Museum, in collaboration with the Cultural Section of the High Commission of Cyprus in the UK. When COVID-19 hit in March, the committee had to quickly pivot and adapt to the changing circumstances. Together with the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, NEPOMAK UK ran a community support campaign running errands for elderly and vulnerable members of the community, bycollecting and delivering groceries or their prescriptions from their local pharmacy. It united the community during a period of great uncertainty and helped promote Cypriot businesses who adapted to accommodate for the needs of our community.
Over the next few months, NEPOMAK UK hosted a whole host of virtual events which engaged members in a COVID-19 secure way. In July, a social media campaign was launched to promote NEPOMAK UK, our goals and objectives and provided members with an introduction to our committee. In September, NEPOMAK UK launched a brand-new Cyprus News Bulletin to provide engaged members with updates on Cyprus politics, current affairs and international relations. The same month, NEPOMAK UK launched its virtual Christmas Charity Campaign.
For the last three years, NEPOMAK UK has successfully run its Santa Shoebox campaign delivering gifts to impoverished children in Cyprus and to the children enclaved in Rizokarpasso. Given the unfortunate difficulties and limitations that the COVID-19 pandemic brought upon us, we changed our approach and decided to run a series of virtual fundraising events. These events included a 2,000-mile charity walk, an exclusive webinar with award-winning author Victoria Hislop, a live cooking masterclass with celebrity chef Tonia Buxton, a live acoustic event with rising star Antigoni, a Christmas charity quiz and the 25 Days of Christmas Charity challenges.
NEPOMAK UK President, Constantine Alexandrou, expressed his gratitude to the committee for their hard work and to the wider UK Cypriot community for their continued support;
“We started off this year strong with an amazing event at the British Museum, exploring ancient Cyprus. We were set to continue this trend as our calendar of events for the year was diverse and ambitious. We were very sad to cancel our plans due to COVID-19. However, I am delighted that the NEPOMAK UK committee pulled together to create a fantastic range of online and remote events to run for our membership during these difficult times.
“This included our Christmas Charity Campaign which has been incredibly successful. This initiative was run to raise funds for vulnerable children in Cyprus and also the UK Greek Schools who have helped us greatly with our Santa Shoe Box Appeals over the years. For the next year, we hope for a return to normality and run our usual flagship events such as the annual Boat Party but also create new and exciting events for our members. Overall, I am extremely proud of what we have achieved in 2020 and excited for what we can accomplish in 2021.”
Gregory Demou, NEPOMAK UK’s Treasurer provided members with an annual financial report. Given the circumstances with the COVID19 pandemic, there was limited financial activity in comparison to other years, especially since in-person events were not possible with the restrictions imposed by the UK Government.
Following the review of the previous term, the Consul General Mr Theodoros Gotsis addressed the AGM and updated those present on the latest developments of the Cyprus Problem as well as the illegal activities in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone and the fenced of town of Varosi. In an interactive discussion with members, the importance of continuing to apply pressure on the UK government, especially as they seek to strike a post-Brexit trade deal with Turkey, was highlighted. Members were encouraged to continue monitoring developments on the Cyprus issue, keeping in mind the latest initiative to resume talks, by the United Nations General Secretary Mr Antonio Gutteres, something that has been welcomed by the President Anastasiades, who has expressed his determination to secure a just and lasting solution to the Cyprus problem, in line with UN resolutions and high level agreements.
After the update, the NEPOMAK UK Executive officers Constantine Alexandrou, Carolina Mantzalos, Gregory Demou and Adrian Patsalos hosted a Q&A, presenting their forecast for 2021 which includes: COVID-19 secure committee meetings (both in-person and virtual), increased political engagement through workshops and panel discussions around the Cyprus problem, and lastly, revisiting NEPOMAK UK’s flagship events in line with government guidelines.
NEPOMAK UK is the UK branch of NEPOMAK which is run day-to-day by 150 volunteers. We run activities in over 40 cities globally, directly reaching 15,000 young Cypriots around the world. We are always looking for more enthusiastic, driven, young individuals to help develop our organisation. By getting involved, our members have the chance to learn new skills, challenge themselves and develop life-long friendships.
Sign up as a member with your local organisation today by visiting our website www.nepomak.org or visit our social media pages for regular updates!
