It is a great honour to be the Chair of the Yorkshire Region for the next period.
I wish to thank Simon Bourke the previous Chair and the committee members for their past and continuing effort in relation to committee activities and the events we have hosted in the last few years. We have a strong committee with new members bringing enthusiasm and new ideas to hopefully continue and develop the programme and events. A rolling membership of committee members is, in my opinion, essential to maintain enthusiasm and bring new ideas to the table so if you are interested in joining the committee in future years then please get in touch.
I see our key activity is to provide information for the members, those wishing to join the institution and those who are just interested in the field of Building Services Engineering.
As we are all aware we are in and appear to still be in uncertain and difficult
times particularly in the new build construction sector, more than ever we as engineers need to be up to date with current development. We will seek to develop the next years technical programme to address any key issues to maintain our position as leading low energy carbon design in the sector.
Our key objectives for the coming year will be:
- Provide good quality technical events throughout the region and not just the West Yorkshire area.
- Continue to connect with other institutions and continue the ground work Simon did in terms of relationships with HVCA, IHEEM, IET and IMechE and we have already arranged joint events for the next period. I hope to also engage with other non services institutions such as Civil and Structural engineers, Architects and surveyors to provide a broader base of discussions and technical programmes and networking opportunities.
- Promote the benefits of membership throughout the region and promote the benefits of a career in the industry by greater connectivity to the local education providers.
- Continue to hold an annual event to celebrate our achievements, promote networking and raise funds for those less fortunate than ourselves. . This year’s event will again be held at the Leeds Marriot on the 18th November 2011. We are changing the format from previous years to be a less formal event, further details will be announced via our website and we would be very grateful if, even in these difficult times, you could try and support this event.
- Continue to support our Young Engineers Network.
- Maintain an active and vibrant website to keep members and other interested parties informed. We are aware that this is an area that needs improvement and are working to provide more regular updates to generate interest in our activities and keep members informed of CIBSE events and the like in the region.
We are also privileged this year to host the annual CIBSE Patrons Event on the 28th September 2011 at the Rose Bowl in Leeds. CIBSE President Andy Ford will be in attendance to talk about the Institution and is followed by a tour of the Rose Bowl and informal drinks and networking session. The Patrons provide invaluable support to our activities so we would like a big turn out to show our appreciation.
Finally we as a committee our here to represent and serve your interests so if you have any suggestions, observations or moans about what we do as a committee then please contact me either by e mail or phone and I will be more than happy to have a chat. We rely on your feedback and support of our events and hope to see a lot more of you in the next few years.
Kind Regards
Derek Devereaux
0113 242 8498