Category: Chair’s Blog

I was very lucky to be invited to the Norton Man Shed at the weekend.

I was inspired to see all the things the NORMENS team are doing and how this is helping many in the community by providing an outlet for creativity and support. The work they are doing to ease loneliness is fantastic which aides the mental well-being of men and women.

Read all about in on the NORMANS Blog.

It seems like only yesterday I arranged the first ever meeting of the Tees Valley North East Community of Engineers. However since last night marked our fifth AGM it clearly wasn’t!

I was delighted shortly after inception to be voted in as Chair and I am proud to say that the group has moved on leaps and bounds since the first meeting.

We quickly identified that we wanted to do things differently and our name change to Engineering Together really reinforced this. Today we remain very collaborative and live and breath our ONE VOICE culture.

Outcomes not ownership

Nurturing networks

Enabling efficiency

Value one vision

Operating openness

Influencing with integrity

Collaboration with compromise

Emphasis on equality

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to our successes over the past 5+ years.

I am delighted to announce that our Engineering Together philosophies are going global.

I am helping the Women’s Engineering Society’s Climate Emergency Group work with ONE VOICE globally as their Chair.

Outcomes not ownership

Nurturing networks

Enabling efficiency

Value one vision

Operating openness

Influencing with integrity

Collaboration with compromise

Emphasis on equality

I truly believe WESCEG can make a real and significant difference by utilising our collective potential, we exceed what each person can do on their own. We have created an Open Letter idea to encourage a top-down approach from the UK Government and policy makers.

All WES Members and passionate Disruptors, Influencers and Educators are welcome to join the diverse and passionate group, feel free to get in touch with me via CEGChair@wes.org.uk to find out what you can do to help.

And of course if you are local to the Tees Valley remember you can join contact us at EngTog 🙂

As those who know me you know as Chair of EngTog I love working together and encouraging people to use their voices to help the environment – look no further than our Primary Voices page.

That is why I am delighted to share that Dr Richard Hixson, the key note speaker at our Sustainably Engineering Together our Oceans – Engineering Together event is Ensuring the oceans have a voice.

Read all about it at Ensuring the oceans have a voice by Dr Richard Hixson and Dr Georgie Sowman – The official blog of BMJ Leader

Thanks to the Cleveland Institution of Engineers and PD Ports our Chair Paula, Vice Chair Paul and Climate Champion Julie all got a trip along the River Tees.

It was lovely chatting all things local in an engineering context with like minded people.

The WES Annual Conference in Birmingham was amazing. Hundreds came, listened, shared and talked; you may say they were Engineering Together ! The theme aligned WE50; Safety and Security.

I had the enormous privilege to get to speak on the totally enormous stage not once but twice. Talking about Primary Voices in the context of Planetary Security and secondly thinking about Personal Safety with a focus on The Line.

It really was a privilege to be part of this and to do my bit to #MakeSafetySeen.

As Chair I just wish to say a huge thank you to all our volunteers, supporters and ambassadors.

We literally could not deliver the great work and work towards speaking with ONE VOICE without you.

Outcomes not ownership

Nurturing networks

Enabling efficiency

Value one vision

Operating openness

Influencing with integrity

Collaboration with compromise

Emphasis on equality

We must have had fun as we took not one photo – you may ask were we really there !!

Members of EngTog met our close partners WES Tyne and Tees for a social event.

This reminded me of the need to take time out every now and then and simply talk.

Working together and supporting each other; in good times and not so good matters.

Being part of CSW67 has been a wonderful experience. Hearing from people from around the globe and getting different perspectives.

I am constantly inspired by the work undertake by and for women by women (which benefits all of society).

I am however disheartened by the closing comments and conclusion from the UN Secretary General. We have a long way to go and need to double down on supporting each other.

Together we can.

Following on from chairing the Infrastructure Group I was delighted to be accepted as Chair for the whole Women’s Engineering Society Group.

The wide reaching nature of the groups’ members (not just women!) gives us a platform to make real change. The members experiences and enthusiasm will be vital in the coming weeks and months to enable us to make the most of what we have and encourage positive action on the wider industry.

Check out Climate Emergency Group | Women’s Engineering Society (wes.org.uk)