Dear Members
As we reach the midpoint of 2024, I am delighted to reflect on the achievements and events of the past few months and to share exciting developments and upcoming activities with you.
Past Events
1. Strategy Meeting – January 2024
All Trustees were present to discuss the strategic direction of the CFCI. The output was one that prompted clear direction and focus, including reinforcing the CFCI’s mission, vision and how we were going to deliver on our purpose. We agreed to follow up with a marketing /communications strategy and financial strategy. I’m pleased to say we are halfway through the marketing strategy, one of the key outputs being a members survey (see later) and a financial strategy date set at the end of July.
Our aims and objectives were captured succinctly as follows:
Engage – with our members and wider community
Promote – the Cambridgeshire industry as a whole on best practice, managing complex issues, driving change
Celebrate – everything we are doing, inclusive of excellence across the complexities of the industry, both individual and team/project recognition and wider initiatives that are resolving some of the major challenges we have
Educate – within the construction and built environment community, prospective end users/clients and importantly students who can be attracted to the industry in years to come
Collaborate – one of the principal reasons the CFCI was founded, at a time when adversity dominated the industry – this approach to reach across the entire industry spectrum, education providers, industry supply chain, universities and beyond
2. Annual Dinner – April 2024
Held again at King’s College, this event succeeded again in allowing the Cambridge construction community across all generations to connect in a formal environment and share ideas. The event has developed over the years to allow ever more individuals and groups to come together and celebrate everything great about our industry, one of the principle reasons that the CFCI was founded. It did feel to me that the spirit of the evening was around fostering collaborations and driving positive change in order to promote the industry, as well as highlighting a growing increase in our next generation of industry leaders. Having our CFCI Next Generation members at top table went down extremely well with our VIP guests and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. We plan to continue with similar events to facilitate networking across the year.
3. GCDCA Awards – March 2024
In collaboration with the Greater Cambridgeshire Shared Planning Services, we held another excellent Awards evening in the stunning surroundings of The Auditorium (former Emmanuel United Reform Church). Huge thanks to Tom Foggin and February Philips for their efforts in collaboration with GCSPS in celebrating the best of Cambridge construction and design. Well done to all the finalists, winners and those highly commended. The diverse nature of the projects being celebrated was extremely well received, highlighting a number of key criteria – including sustainability, design quality, craftsmanship, collaborative teamwork and accessibility/inclusivity. The “people” awards also showcased experienced talent as well as rising stars within our community. We look forward to seeing their development in years to come.
Outgoing Trustees 2023/24
A number of Trustees – Meredith Bowles, Colin Brown, Emma Fletcher, Alice Graham, Adam Knaggs, Mark Long and Peter Northmore have stood down from their positions as Trustees. I want to thank them personally for their outstanding contribution to the CFCI. Their commitment, passion and energy towards all that makes the CFCI great cannot be oversold and in our Charitable status I would highlight their standing in the Cambridge community giving up free time to support everything we are striving to achieve. I look forward to seeing them supporting our various events in the future, where they will always be warmly welcomed. I know they reflect upon their time as Trustees with great fondness, which has provided us with some fantastic anecdotes of years gone by, as well as their perspectives on how the CFCI has changed in recent times.
Incoming Trustees 2023/24
I am delighted to formally welcome Andrew Cocksedge (Munro), Keir Dixon (Ridge & Partners), Peter Mckeown (Carter Jonas), Dan Mackenzie (Barnes Construction), Sarah Potter (LDA Architects), Gwilym Still (Max Fordham) and Richard Owers (Owers Warwick Architects).
I am very much looking forward to their support. Richard Owers is leading on our relationship with Form the Future to help the CFCI support schools and further educational institutes in embedding construction as a rich and diverse career choice, to support talent attraction. Andrew Cocksedge has agreed to take on the Treasurer role and the other Trustees are already developing fantastic ideas and initiatives to drive the CFCI forward, alongside our experienced Trustees – there is a really positive atmosphere and clear purpose amongst us all and I feel honoured to be working alongside such esteemed members of the Cambridge construction community to help share with you all the future of construction – big issues are being tackled within the Trustees and the Next Gen around biodiversity challenges, net zero carbon, power, water and general infrastructure resilience, diversity and inclusion within the workforce and many other subject areas. This is clearly demonstrated from some of the successful events we have hosted, such as the Water Treatment Plant talk recently. There are many more in the pipeline.
I am also delighted to say that Tom Foggin, RH Partnership has agreed to be my Vice Chair. He has already made a fantastic contribution to the local industry with his commitments to Cambridge Association of Architecture and his involvement as an RIBA Council member.
CFCI Young Ambassadors – Name Change
The CFCI YA have agreed unanimously to change their name to CFCI Next Generation, or CFCI Next Gen. They felt this was far more reflective of the diverse nature of the future leaders of our industry. They are brimming with ideas to help shape the CFCI further, tackling subjects such as sustainability and climate change, advancing technologies and Modern Methods of Construction, diversity within skill sets. Their social events are very popular as evidenced by the Pub Quiz held at the Grain and Hop Store. A very competitive set of teams took on the challenge of some tenuously linked construction themed questions. The music round was a particular highlight and I am really looking forward to their inaugural Annual Dinner aimed at bringing like minded individuals together at Jesus College in September. Please keep an eye out for future events from this vibrant group!
I’m also pleased to welcome five new CFCI Next Gen members – Mercedes Ojengbede (T&TAlinea), Lewis Owen (Barnes Construction), Jemma Jamin (Max Fordham), Jonathan Hackett (Hoare Lea) and Suzanne Goulder (JGC Engineers).
**Upcoming Events**
1. Summer Garden Party – July 2024
Over 280 people are due to attend the Garden Party, an outstanding turnout. This is a less formal networking event set in the beautiful grounds of Newnham College, with some light entertainment from a singer during the evening. It does mark a period where we pause for our summer break and trusting that many others, like me are taking some well deserved time off.
2. Inaugural Next Gen Autumn Dinner – September 2024
The Next Gen members have done a fantastic job of organising the inaugural CFCI dinner at Jesus College. Tickets go on sale immediately after the garden party. Join us for an exciting evening of collaboration, drinks, live band and three course dinner.
This is a fantastic opportunity for members to bring their future leaders together with their peer group, in an event designed to strengthen relationships amongst Cambridge’s up and coming industry professionals.
Tickets are limited, based on recent events, please book early to avoid disappointment.
https://www.cfci.org.uk/events/event-calendar/
Enhanced Online Presence: We will be making some adjustments to our website, to further highlight our aims and objectives as a Charitable Trust.
As part of our “Educate” objective, our webinars are also all available on YouTube, just search for Cambridge Forum for the Construction Industry.
Members Survey: We really welcome as many responses as possible from the survey which was recently sent to all our Members. The survey is due to be returned by 30 July. Please do share across your business, the more colleagues views the better and also other interested parties outside of the membership. We really want to excel in our objectives and ambitions and this is an excellent chance for you all to help support our approach. Survey link: https://forms.gle/7Z1FPZKCfDwSbeqLA
I firmly believe there is no other industry membership organisations that truly captures the spirit of the industry in the UK and your survey outputs will help us drive our agenda and set the blueprint for future development of the CFCI.
I want to thank each of you for your continued support and active participation in our events and initiatives. The strength of CFCI lies in our vibrant community of professionals who are committed to advancing the construction industry.
I hope those attending the garden party will have a fantastic evening and I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events.
Enjoy the rest of the summer, stay safe and see you in September.
Warm regards,
Alison Wring
Chair, Cambridge Forum for the Construction Industry
