This week marks the fourth birthday of LCRIG officially becoming a Community Interest Company (CIC). Of course, we’ve been around for much longer than that. In the early days, the combined team of Susanne and Charlotte spearheaded the LCRIG operation, inspired by Will Britain (Blackpool Council, now retired). Since then, we have certainly grown!
Our decision to become a Community Interest Company was, in part, influenced by something I said at an early board meeting (well before I became a part of the LCRIG team). At that time, LCRIG was gaining momentum, with more groups meeting around the country under the LCRIG banner. We started with a group of authorities in the North West, and it quickly became clear that good public services also require collaboration with supply chain partners. This realisation prompted us to consider who we were for, how we could utilise funding to support our activities, and importantly how we could make a positive impact and support the sector.
For me, the major reason (or inspiration) for becoming a CIC was to demonstrate to councils, suppliers and DfT that we were committed to facilitating conversations, interactions, and collaborations around innovations and service improvements. We wanted to show that if we were helping to facilitate discussions that impact public services, we too should be mindful of our own impact.
As an organisation, we were already a membership body before gaining CIC status. Fast forward to now, we have grown substantially to 124 Highways Authorities, over 185 supply chain members, 10 academic partners and 31 partner members, including government, industry associations, and public sector bodies. We have facilitated our own CIC “community” investment in the sector by supporting innovation funds, assisting SMEs to exhibit at our events, stimulating innovation trials on council networks, and latterly delivering the Highways Apprenticeship Academy with Salford College.
The journey of becoming a CIC has been shaped by the invaluable support of so many in the industry, to whom we are incredibly thankful. We take nothing for granted and recognise our small beginnings have given us a deep appreciation for all of our members and supporters. So, on our fourth CIC birthday, we extend a sincere thank you to everyone who has helped us grow – from sponsorships to exhibitor spaces, awards packages, innovation funds, webinars, and events. Your support means we can continue to assist the public sector, suppliers, and partners in a not-for-profit way. Read more about our CIC journey here.
It really is a big thank you from all of us at LCRIG as we take a moment to celebrate before diving into an exciting conference season ahead, which includes symposiums, an international world congress, large industry events across multiple sectors, and of course our own well-loved Strictly Highways.
Paula Claytonsmith, CEO