Blog from Paul Barker, Resolutions from the Regions

Paul Barker, Chair PLA Regions Committee

As we take leave of January, I’m sure that many of you will be celebrating having stuck to your New Year’s resolutions – perhaps having made good use of your gym memberships, eliminated sugar from your diet or managed to go without alcohol. There was frankly no realistic prospect at all that I would manage a dry January, I haven’t yet made it to a gym and I confess that I am still finishing off the last of the Christmas chocolates…

Thankfully though, there is much for me to celebrate in the regions.

We have seen an increase in our overall membership and with around 60% of PLA members permanently based outside London, it’s great to see a busy and successful calendar of training and social events across all our regions.

With thanks to outgoing Chairs Damian Hyndman and Richard Bedford for their hard work, I’m delighted to welcome Richard Cressall and Patrick Wetherall as the new Chairs of the Northern and South West and South Wales regions. We now have five very active regional committees and will also be adding committees in East Anglia and Northern Ireland this year. The Chairs of the regional committees are resolute in their plans to build on the successes of 2017, guided by the results of the survey of regional members conducted at the end of last year.  Your valuable feedback was much appreciated.

So what can you expect from the regions in 2018?

Planning is underway for training days in the North and in Scotland, replicating the success of the November training day in London
Greater access to training events in the regions, by increased use of video links between cities to minimise travel for members
Bring a Surveyor events, held successfully each year in London and Birmingham, being rolled out to other regions (over 70% of members surveyed said they’d like a Bring a Surveyor event in their region)
More JPLA events outside of London, with JPLA members represented on all regional committees
Greater number and variety of events, including further panel style events following the success of the Dilapidations event in Birmingham in 2017
The launch of the Northern Ireland and East Anglia regions

There is clearly a great deal of enthusiasm, both in London and nationally, to make 2018 a fantastic year for the PLA. The PLA is your organisation and we are keen to deliver what youwant in your region.  If you’d like to get involved to help shape activity in your region, then please do email me paul.barker@higgsandsons.co.uk, paul.barker@higgsandsons.co.uk,  and I will put you in touch with your local Chair about joining their committee.

Paul