Our members

Members of Progressio’s Penarth supporters group

Progressio is a membership organisation, so our members are extremely important to us. They not only provide crucial funding through their subscription payments and donations. They also play an active role in supporting our campaigns and promoting our work. They join with us in actively raising awareness about international development issues and speaking out against injustices.

In return for their subscription, members receive our quarterly magazine, Interact; free copies of our Comment booklets, as and when they are published; and discounts on all other Progressio publications.

Our members also receive invitations to events, including our Annual General Meeting, where they have voting rights and the opportunity to influence our work and have their say.

Not all Progressio supporters choose to become a member: you can still support us by taking part in campaigns and by donating regularly or in response to specific appeals.

In addition to financial and practical support, our members provide legitimacy to our work. Policy-makers and decision-makers know that we speak on behalf not just of the people we work with around the world. We also put forward the voices and views of Progressio members and supporters who, like us, want to see an end to poverty and injustice.

Member’s story

We hope our members feel proud to be part of the Progressio community: here is what one of them has to say…

Nan Saeki

My father was a keen member of The Sword, and so when I returned with my family from Japan to live in England in 1979, it didn’t take long for me to get involved in CIIR. [Progressio was founded as The Sword of the Spirit and was known as CIIR from 1965 to 2006.]

Living as we do in the north of England meant attending meetings was not very simple, but I was keen enough to go down to London occasionally and was always very pleased when former Executive Director Ian Linden came northwards to give talks, and in recent years, current Executive Director Christine Allen.  

Being separated from the main action means that the Comment series of publications has been particularly welcome and useful. Now the lively members magazine Interact keeps me in touch.

I find the aims of Progressio inspiring and the work you do relevant and well-targeted. May you flourish for many years to come.