25 November 2022
BSA celebrates 80th anniversary and appointment of new Chair for 2023
Sarah
Wilson of the Departmental Solicitors Office has been elected as Chair of the
Belfast Solicitors’ Association (BSA), succeeding Paul Moylan of McCann and
McCann.
A
new committee was elected at the association’s AGM in Law Society House today
and at this Ms Wilson paid tribute to the previous Chair, while Ruairi Gillen,
of Gillen & Co was elected Honorary Secretary and Robert Croskery was
elected Honorary Treasurer.
Ms
Wilson said:
‘It is with great excitement that I take up my
appointment as Chair of the Belfast
Solicitors’ Association which is celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2023. I am
both delighted but also astonished to be the sixth female and youngest ever
lawyer to hold this role.
Throughout its history, the BSA has consistently
represented its members’ interests, lobbying government, promoting the highest
standards of legal practice and organising a varied social and Continuing
Professional Development programme.
In 2023, I aim to celebrate, the
achievements of the profession over the past 80 years and promote areas of
improvement such as the employment of people with disabilities within the
profession. There are a number of social events already planned as part of our
celebrations, including our Gala Dinner which will take place on 10th
June 2023.’
BSA
has also announced their new charity partner for 2023, Employer’s For
Disability Northern Ireland (EFDNI).
‘This
year our chosen charity is Employers for Disability NI (EFDNI) which is a local
charity very close to my heart. Their role is to promote the recruitment,
retention and development of disabled employees.
They do this by
providing training, information, advice and in-depth support for disabled
employees, their line managers, colleagues and Human Resources staff.
EFDNI encourages and helps local employers to adopt a Disability Positive
approach where disabled people are valued and supported both in employment and
as customers/services users.
They have developed a unique range of services,
and are the only employer-led organisation focused solely on disability good
practice in NI. They recently launched a Disability Positive Accreditation
initiative which helps employers audit their disability-related employment
practices, identify areas needing improvement and recognise those employers who
are working at the highest level.
They provide daily support for disabled
people, their managers and colleagues and engage with employers covering
approximately 25% of the workforce, funded by these organisations. I look
forward to supporting EFDNI throughout 2023.’