President's Message
FROM THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE
March 2010
FROM THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE
I am not sure whether to put my head back under the duvet or go into hibernation until at least June. Never having been a political animal I am already fed up with the shenanigans over MPs' expenses, the actions of public funded banks and the lack of direction from any political party albeit everybody knows that there will be an election early in May. This all confuses and compounds the uncertainties within the construction industry.
Speak to people and the consensus is that there is a buzz that things are improving, that there is a lot more talk and movement on new projects but actual breaking ground construction is less obvious. Those within the facilities and maintenance field are very active but anecdotally this is because F&M budgets have come to an end and clients looking to agree forthcoming budgets are trying to cut costs which, as we all know, leads to future problems. In my field of fire safety this undoubtedly has dangerous consequences as for many clients fire is never going to affect them, therefore the maintenance of active and passive measures can (in their opinion) be cut 'just this time' round. F&M managers will not find best professional advice well received for some time yet.
Governments, both local and national, are all desperately working to reduce debts in the hope of stimulating markets but I have seen predictions that this will take at least another six to nine months, some say 24 months. There seems to be an increasing number of political statements to suggest the possibilities of tax cuts/cuts incentives (corporation and personal). A new government must have clear policies that the banks and other financial markets need to assess. Unfortunately, this will also be influenced by overseas actions and situations - the USA and, nearer to home, the dire situation with the Euro in Greece and, reportedly to a lesser extent, Spain and Portugal. Recent positive reports in terms of consumer confidence, manufacturing, purchasing indices etc all show increased optimism that can easily be muted by contrasting reports on a still too frequent basis. I have just read that the price of gold has fallen - good job I did not buy any then!
Now for some good news.
The past month has been very busy but very worthwhile and informative. The majority of my ABE time has been spent attending the Regional Annual General Meetings (AGMs). The Southern Region meeting was held in London and a full committee was elected followed by a CPD event given by British Gas when the numerous grants for replacement of old boilers, insulation, installations and upgrades and all other things green and sustainable were outlined. British Gas administers government funding for many of these incentives but it seems that the uptake is so good the money for some schemes has been or is near spent.
The Scottish AGM was held again in the fabulous Glasgow City Hall. This building is a testament to Glasgow's industrial and trading history. I had always assumed that the wealth illustrated by the grandeur of City Hall was based on boatbuilding and shipping but I learnt that tobacco had been the main factor. The meeting was an opportunity to discuss matters that included the difficulty of providing support and CPD to members throughout a very large region.
A day trip flying to Northern Ireland, accompanied by the Honorary Treasurer Arwel Griffith, on a very wet and cold day was brightened by the large numbers that attended the AGM and subsequent CPD talk on the restoration of historic buildings with the emphasis on sustainable construction. By comparison, the trip to Mildenhall in the Eastern Region (my Region) was shorter in distance but in driving time was just as long. However, it was a worthwhile trip passing through the beautiful north Essex and Suffolk countryside when a full regional committee was elected. The Yorkshire and Humber Region met in Doncaster. Northern hospitality was abundant as usual. I was met at the station by Rhys Taylor (Immediate Past President) and Michelle Tuxford who was subsequently elected to the Committee. A full AGM was followed by a CPD event.
Over the coming month I look forward to visiting the Regions in the North West and Southern Ireland.
You will have read in last month's Journal that Colin Bell (Vice-President) together with Council Members, Arthur Watt and Gordon Henderson, is conducting a review of Regional activities, governance and structure. I have reported to the group my findings from each meeting I attended and a member of the group, together with either Kate Ilott or Kevin Blunden (Deputy Chief Executives), will attend a Regional Committee meeting in the near future to progress the review.
Unfortunately, not all Regions have a committee and members' needs are currently being provided by HQ. As soon as possible, a meeting will be convened in each of these Regions and it is hoped that members will attend with a view to consider participating in a Regional Committee to their and other members' benefit.
Both Audit and Presidential Committees met prior to the national AGM and full Council on 6 February. This, coupled with a recent meeting of the Staffing Committee and an imminent meeting of the Awards Panel, has given the Executive a massive burden in producing accurate minutes. But, in the spirit of open governance, it has been agreed by Council that appropriate information from these meetings will be passed to Regional Chairmen and subsequently summarised within the Journal for members' information.
Beryl Menzies
PBEng FBEng MRICS
President