Happy New Year from IHBC
Presidents Letter January 2012
Dear Reader
I’d like to start this letter by first thanking the IHBC board and other IHBC members who have contributed to the successes of 2011. The amount of involvement has been impressive and has lead to a really noticeable increase in activity and events. Significant developments have been achieved in the following areas.
Give a little campaign
So far we have had three visits to the Orphanage in Göd. The teams of volunteers have improved the orphanage environment by refreshing bedrooms, communal areas and gardening. As well as the physical labor, there were some very generous donations both in terms of clothing, useful items, lunch and transport. The volunteers also visited in December to bring some Christmas cheer and spend time with the residents. As well as providing a service to the orphanage and the residents it was good coming together with individuals and local businesses. A very big thank you to Declan and Anna who coordinate most of the activity and of course to all those who supported the initiative and made it happen. Connected to the campaign is another form of fund raising, “The Gift of the Gab”. Mary Murphy and Jeremy Wheeler, IHBC members put together a very entertaining evening every month and have generously donated the ticket sales to the orphanage. Please look out for the next event in January.
Activities
2011 saw a lot of us roaming the hills and forests around Budapest. Thanks to Malcolm and Simon we are much fitter and its an excellent way to make new friends and get out of the city into the beautiful natural surroundings of Budapest. The activities calendar looks very busy for 2012 and all are welcome.
Newsletter
Jill McGovern has taken over the Newsletter and with very little direction she has managed to make it her own and ensured its promptness in delivery and good content. Jill, is a new comer to Budapest and very impressively has jumped head first into the local scene and in a very short space of time has added real value to the promotion of events and general support.
First Friday Events
The monthly get-togethers were a big success. Not only with IHBC members but also with members from other communities and associations. Charles and Elvi and the staff of Jack Doyles made everyone very welcome and a big thanks to them for making that monthly event a hit. In the spirit of rotating the event, the First Friday event will move to the Caledonia which is an IHBC member bar and owned by Patrick McMenamin also an IHBC board member. This will happen from January on wards and I look forward to seeing most of you there soon.
Golf Society
Gavin Irwin, our resident Golf Pro and Orsi Vegvari (IHBC board member) started the IHBC Golf Meetings. Gavin generously gave those who attended his very valuable time in lessons and the whole experience was good fun and allowed all of the family to take part. Suitable for the pros and those less experienced this initiative was a real success and again more to come in 2012.
St Patrick’s Day Celebrations
2011 saw the first ever St Patrick’s Day parade and the committee lead by our Vice President Mark Downey delivered a “wow” event. Official reports are that we had more than 500 walkers in the parade. The celebrations also comprised of a film festival and the annual Gala Dinner. 2012 will be bigger and better and please watch this space for some very exciting announcements of what’s to come. Last year Brian Elders was responsible for the Gala Dinner and as he has now moved on to Singapore he has passed on the baton to Patrick Loughran who is Brian’s replacement on the board. Thanks to all who are involved in this as it is no small thing and brings a lot of people together in a very enjoyable way.
Other events
The Hungarian Derby was a big hit this year and the numbers are increasing for those who wish to put on their race hat and take part in our VIP day at the races. Earlier in the year we enjoyed the launch of the “In Conversation with” events in Beckett’s Pub organied by David Trayford. Declan O’Callaghan the manager of Becketts also hosted the IHBC Christmas party just past which was very well attended and an excellent night out just before the holidays.
Putting the “B” back into the IHBC
It’s quite clear that 2011 was about building on the social networks of the IHBC. Alongside that we have seen much more activity and an increased membership, feed back has been very supportive and encouraging. It is important for us to remember that there the business networks are vital. Going forward I will be working with the other board members to put the “B” back into the IHBC. This will involve engaging with other chambers of commerce and doing our best to showcase our members and what they have to offer. We welcome all initiatives and if anyone should wish to be part of this drive we will welcome their involvement and ideas.
I wish you a very happy and successful 2012. It is certainly going to be a challenge for many and developing networks both business and social will be increasingly important.
Harry Harron
