REPRESENTATION

SHAREHOLDERS NEED AN ACTIVE VOICE

ShareSoc campaigns on both specific company issues and on individual shareholders’ wider concerns. We have been successful in obtaining change at a number of companies since we were founded and have influenced government policy and legislation. You will find details of our campaigns here. In addition we have advised and supported other shareholder action groups.

Individual shareholders need an active voice who can speak on their behalf to companies, to the Government and to other public institutions. There are frequent changes to laws and regulations, or in financial market practice, where the needs and views of individual shareholders are often ignored. The issues are often complex but it is necessary to respond in an authoritative manner to ensure that your rights are not diluted. We respond to numerous consultations, which are detailed here.

Getting your views across to the wider financial community, to business leaders and to politicians often requires substantial effort, particularly when commercial interests are often promoting their own agenda. It takes time, money and organised effort to achieve this, which ShareSoc aims to provide.

We will also formulate policies that support your interests (see the Policies page) and promote them. ShareSoc’s promotion of those policies has helped to change the public view and the Government’s approach on a number of issues (for example on how to control excessive pay in public companies).

Companies that are in difficulties or where corporate governance issues have arisen often need the coordinated action of shareholders to rectify matters. We represent shareholders in such cases, and support the formation of shareholder action groups where necessary.

If you are considering forming a “shareholder action group” to tackle a specific company, you should read this note first: Shareholder Action Groups (a pdf document).

HAVE A PROBLEM?

As a minimum we will give you advice on how it can be progressed. Note, however, that the service we offer to non-members is limited. Please join us to take full advantage of our services.

WORDS AND ACTION

It’s easy to moan about problems, but talk is not enough. You need to take action if matters are to change.

Group description:	The National Group is open to all members of SIGnet. It is intended primarily for new SIGnet members, who may not yet have found another suitable group to join. We aim to welcome new members and discuss their investment interests and current investment topics. Investors with all levels of experience are welcome to join.
Meeting Type/Venue:	Online
Meeting Frequency/Timing:	The National Group meets monthly, on a weekday evening. Meetings are generally from 7-8:30pm.

Group description:	Our group is a broad church that contains investors of varying age and experience. We discuss stocks and investment trusts that we have bought, sold or are interested in and the reasons behind our decisions, and try to make sense of the ever changing investment environment. Our members backgrounds are diverse and include corporate banking, engineering, teaching and the leisure industry. Discussions are robust and challenging but tend to be to be informal, and do not generally involve agendas, presentations or detailed preparation. We are a friendly and approachable group who welcome investors of all levels – we just ask that you contribute, at whatever level you can.
Meeting Type/Venue:	Our meetings are held in a very nice pub near to South Ealing tube station (Piccadilly Line), not far from Ealing Broadway (District, Central and Elizabeth Line). Group numbers permitting (and assuming members are happy to purchase food and drink from the bar), we may also have access to a private room in the pub.
Meeting Frequency/Timing:	We meet every 2 months, usually on a Wednesday morning at 11am.

Group description:	An online group for those who already have some experience in investing. Covering topics such as finding companies to invest in, financial statements and ratios, valuation / margin of safety, analysis of companies and investment trusts and exchange traded funds.
Meeting Type/Venue:	Online using Zoom.
Meeting Frequency/Timing:	Meetings are usually held on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 7:15pm.

Group description:	An online group for those who are new to investing. Including topics such as how to buy and sell shares, unit trusts, investment trusts, exchange traded funds and diversification, tax and how to save it, pensions, portfolio management and research tools, other asset classes and basic technical analysis.
Meeting Type/Venue:	Online using Zoom.
Meeting Frequency/Timing:	Meetings are usually held on the 1st Monday of the month at 7:15pm.

Group description:	This group was formed in September 2023 and meets in-person during the evening in a London pub. The group is open to all investors – a good proportion of the initial membership are experienced investors.
Meeting Type/Venue:	In-person meetings. Pub. Dinner and drinks.
Meeting Frequency/Timing:	Monthly on the third Tuesday of the month from 6-9pm.

Group description:	Group focused on active investing, primarily in small / medium cap UK equities.
Meeting Type/Venue:	Regular Zoom meetings interspersed with occasional face to face meetings and social activities in the North West.
Meeting Frequency/Timing:	Monthly on Saturdays at 10am.

Group description:	Our group covers a wide spectrum of mainly stock market investing and trading from equities – which include shares, ETF’s Investment and Unit Trusts. We normally rotate the meeting chairperson (responsible for creating, with member’s help, suitable agendas) and a meeting presenter (members take it in turns to provide a 15 to 45 minute presentation on a subject of their choice). Various investing topics of interest are regularly discussed such as software, brokers, investing categories and markets and any related topics of interest.
Meeting Type/Venue:	Meetings will be returning to in-person in a private room at a West London golf club, close to an underground station. In the meantime monthly video calls and an in-between meeting email group will continue.
Meeting Frequency/Timing:	In-person meetings will be held on the second Wednesday of each month in the afternoons, following a golf club one course lunch.

Group description:	Our group members have wide ranging investment experience and work backgrounds. Discussion topics include reviewing our recent stock or collective investment buying and selling activity, plus what we are considering buying or selling and the reasons for our decisions. We also have a wider discussion on where we think opportunities might arise in the next few months and what we think needs to be avoided. Members occasionally lead discussions on specific topics such as recent events attended, articles or books of interest and sources of investment ideas and information.
Meeting Type/Venue:	Since the pandemic our meetings have been held on Zoom, but the aim is to resume meeting in person at the usual venue which is in a location a few miles to the west of Colchester.
Meeting Frequency/Timing:	We meet midweek every two months. Zoom meetings run for about two hours from 10.30am and in person meetings from 11am until about 3pm, including a break for lunch.

Group description:	This group was set up as a forum to discuss companies in detail, each company is introduced by a member and discussion may last one or two hours. Membership is by invitation only.
Meeting Type/Venue:	The group meets at a venue in Waterloo, London.
Meeting Frequency/Timing:	Meetings are from 11.00 until 16.30 and at two month intervals.