We’re only six weeks or so into the new year and it’s fair to say that with the usual LCRIG enthusiasm, things have got off to a great start.
We’ve had Ministerial support for LCRIG Skills, we’ve announced a number of upcoming events including the Transport Technology Conference in May, the Innovation Festival, opportunities for SMEs to get involved with the ITS European Congress in Lisbon, we’ve had a number of successful webinars already including the recent Net Zero one and at the direct request of councils and others some new regional groups have started .
Everything LCRIG does is driven with heart and passion for the sector and our members. Our relationship with DfT grows deeper and this in turn creates a greater opportunity to have a dialogue that serves the needs of members and supply chain. There are some big changes ahead in government policy and we know that in order to engage fully, that means listening to what we’re told by members and communicating that back to civil servants.
Our membership base is growing in councils across all parts the country, and yes there are common themes on why councils (and partners/supply chain) want to join LCRIG. But it’s the intangible reasons that I hear, that I also find intriguing; “We love your passion to help us” “We like that you do things differently” “We like that you work collaboratively with others” but the most often quoted comment is about our energy. And for me this is what drives innovation and change too, energy.
Having energy to drive things forward, or to drive things forward for others is not to be underestimated! And we really do have bundles of this, so expect much, much more from us this year at LCRIG.