Who is FOSSUK & What does it do?

What do we do?

The FOSSUK Committee promote communication between Swiss Clubs and Societies in the UK, and the wider community of Swiss living and working in the UK. The Commitee works closely with the Swiss Embassy London to ensure information flow between Swiss Clubs across the UK between the official representation and Clubs.

FOSSUK uses this website as the portal for information for Swiss living in the UK with regard to events, news and OSA activities as put forward and reported back on by the CSA UK Delegates. Keep an eye on the Swiss Community Events Calendar - the only single source of all events across the UK that is either organised by Swiss clubs and organisations or have a natural Swiss connection - from a walking tour in nature or Swiss history, to kayaking, to finance, to education, to politics, to UK-Swiss trade policy, to in-person and online coffee meet-ups, to 1 August National Day celebrations, to Christmas lunches, to clearing Ticinese graves, to Archive visits, to art tours, to Swiss Church services, to cultural events, to informal pub meet-ups. If meet up with Swiss in informal capacity, do let us know so that we can help in spreading the word and connect Swiss who live in the UK. 

We organise an Annual Congress (AGM) & Cultural Weekend, which is held in London one year, and in another UK location the next. FOSSUK Members vote on relevant matters affecting Clubs and Societies at the AGM. The AGM is planned around cultural activities and a weekend exploring Swiss links and interesting cultural spaces in various locations as well as being very social with old friends and colleagues having an opportunity to engage with one another. The AGM usually includes and update from the Swiss Ambassador to the UK, and talks by Swiss Representatives of the FDFA and the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad. 

Annually a Forum is initiated by FOSSUK and supported by Members that brings speakers on a variety of subjects that are of interest to Swiss living in the UK. Past Forums have included talks on Pensions, Brexit (of course!), Aging Well, Aging and Living Abroad, etc. FOSSUK also facilitates Webinars on a variety of topics in particular around the role of Delegates, e-Voting, bank accounts in Switzerland, Swiss health insurance, Swiss taxation if domiciled abroad and Living Abroad and supports OSA and FDFA webinars also, recordings of which can be found on SwissCommunity.org

Other initiatives include a Round Table of Club Presidents and FOSSUK to plan events and initiatives and find ways to engage with the Swiss Community.

In 2021 FOSSUK conducted a UK-wide survey to help the commitee and newly elected UK CSA Delegates set priorities for the next term as identified by the Swiss Community living and working in the UK in a post-pandemic world.

In 2019, UK Delegate at the time, Nathalie Chuard, initiated the first ever Jungburgerfeier (supported by Ambassador Fasel and Consul General) in the UK which was held in July at the Swiss Embassy London with a surprise guest appearance by Swiss shooting Star Bastian Baker. The Swiss Embassy London now host Jungburgerfeier for young Swiss turning 18 every 2 years. 

FOSSUK also plans and oversees the 4-yearly election of the 5 UK Delegates to the Council of the Swiss Abroad (CSA) - the UK Swiss' representation on views, issues and policies affecting the Swiss who live and work in the UK. The current term is 2025 - 2029. 

Keep up to date with our Delegates Reports from the annual OSA Congress and meeting.

The editor of the Swiss Review UK Regional Edition, Gioia Palmieri also sits on the FOSSUK Committee, and we work closely with one another to promote events, initiatives and content to our social channels:
Facebook: @UKSwiss
Twitter: @FOSSUK

An Umbrella Organisation

The Federation of Swiss Societies in the United Kingdom, simply known as FOSSUK, is a voluntary, non-profit making, non-party political Organisation of a co-coordinating and interactive nature.

Originally constituted in London in 1949 as "The Presidents' Assembly" it was later renamed "Federation of Swiss Societies in the United Kingdom" (FOSSUK) at the Annual General Meeting of 5th October 1965.  

FOSSUK and its constituent Societies, Clubs and Institutions, henceforth called Corporate Members, fall within the general guidelines of the Bern-based Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA).

FOSSUK's aims:

  • To promote the common interests of Corporate members, whilst fully recognising their individuality, independence and characteristics

  • To encourage the exchange of information, experience and ideas between Corporate Members

  • To inform about events, news and legislations of interest to Swiss citizens residing in the UK through Regional Pages (Switzerland in the UK) of the Swiss Review, FOSSUK Newsletters and Website

  • To guide Corporate Members, on organisational and administrative matters, if so requested

  • To actively seek, encourage and assist in the formation of new Swiss Groups

  • To ensure the regular publication of the "Switzerland in the UK" pages in the Swiss Review

  • To support the aims and objectives of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad in Berne and co-operate in the development of their services

As a result of a Presidents' Roundtable, chaired by OSA President, Filippo Lombard in 2023 and as agreed at the 2024 AGM, a Working Group was established to review the name, mission and membership functionality of FOSSUK as an umbrella organisation. With official society and club membership reducing other ways must found to fund events, communicate with a geographically disparate diaspora and reaching informal groups on social media which include WhatsApp, Facebook, LinedIn, TikTok and others. 

The Working Group Recommendations were presented at the 2025 AGM by Lakshmi Sundaram as Chair of the Working Group. Motions from Unione Ticinese, New Helvetic Society and Edinburgh Swiss Club – The Way Forward – was unanimously passed at the 2025 AGM to implement the recommendations with a strict timeline of goals.

FOSSUK The Way Forward

The Organisation

FOSSUK is governed on a voluntary basis by a Committee of up to 9 officers and members, elected every two years by delegates representing Corporate Members at the Annual General Meeting. 

Ex-officio members are the 5 UK CSA Delegates as voted on by the Swiss in the UK every 4 years deemed to represent the Swiss Community in the UK on the Council of the Swiss Abroad (CSA) in Bern. In 2025, with the permission of the OSA Executive, 3 Deputy Delegates were also ratified in the event that one of the 5 Delegates are unable to attend CSA Meetings.

At the 2024 AGM, Members voted to take part in the pilot project of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) to hold direct elections of all five UK delegates to the Council of the Swiss Abroad (CSA).

Hence, Rule 8.3(b) of the Constitution will apply for all candidates and Rules 8.3(c)- (d) will not be used.

8.3(b) The five candidates who secured the largest popular vote are elected as delegates to the Council of the Swiss Abroad(“Directly Elected Delegates”).

Adopted at the AGM on the 18th of May 2019 by our Members, the current FOSSUK Constitution can be downloaded below:

FOSSUK Constitution 2019

Honorary President:

The Ambassador of Switzerland to the UK

Honorary Vice-President:  

Vacant

Swiss Embassy:

Thomas Wagner, Consul General

Swiss Review UK Pages:

Editor: Gioia Palmieri

UK Delegates to the Council of the
Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (CSA) 

2025 - 2029 Term: 

  1. Stefan Bucher

  2. Toby Mathiessen

  3. Franz Muheim

  4. Isabel Schenk

  5. Lakshmi Sundaram

Deputy Delegates for 2025 - 2029 Term: 

  1. Lorenza Cavalli

  2. Geraldine Kraev

  3. Joelle Nebbe-Mornod

Officers:

 

Interim President:

Franz Muheim

Interim Vice-President: 

Joelle Nebbe-Mornod

Interim Secretary:

Joelle Nebbe-Mornod

Interim Treasurer
& Working Group Chair:

Lakshmi Sundaram 

Steering Committee:

Gioia Palmieri, Nat Cartier, Ané-Mari Peter and the UK CSA Delegates Lakshmi Sundaram, Isabel Schenk, Franz Muheim, Stefan Bucher, Toby Mathiessen.

Other Worldwide Swiss Federations 


Federation of Swiss Societies in Germany 
www.aso-deutschland.de


Federation of Swiss Societies in Italy 
www.collegamentosvizzero.it


Pro Ticino 
www.proticino.ch


Swiss Community Portal & Societies Abroad 
www.swisscommunity.org

Our Advertisers



Advertise With Us