Firstly, I would like to thank everyone for giving up their valuable time this evening and attending this year’s South Wales Branch AGM. Having missed last years event, due to the re-arranged date clashing with my holiday, I would like to say how pleased I am to actually be able to deliver this year’s chairman’s report in person.

Unfortunately, as I am sure you’ll all be aware, this meeting marks the end of my 2 year spell as Chairman of the South Wales Branch. It has certainly surprised me how quickly the time has passed although I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute and, at this point, I would like to take the opportunity of thanking you all for affording me the honour of serving the branch in this role over the past 2 years.

As I mentioned in my speech at the Annual Dinner in March, some people say that the measure of the success of a Chairman is whether he leaves an organisation in a stronger position than when he joined it. Well, as far as this particular branch is concerned, I believe we were already in a very strong position when I took up the role in 2009. The branch then had over 450 members and enjoyed a well respected position within the Institution Nationally 

We were financially sound and operated a full programme of events designed to meet the Institution’s goals of not only being a learned multi-modal transport organisation, but also one which provided services that met the needs of its members and was a leading body in the award of transportation related qualifications and training .

Although it was going to be difficult to improve significantly on this position, we set ourselves the target of not only continuing to deliver the high quality events programme, which had become synonymous with the South Wales Branch, but also attempt to widen our appeal and attract more members into the Branch and into attending our respective Branch functions.

In 2009, it was shown that we had 450 members in South Wales, this rose to 482 in 2010 and I am pleased to report that we currently have 536 members today. This represents a very respectable 19% increase in membership during the period. Within these numbers, we have also been very successful in attracting younger members into the Branch.

This has come about through the efforts of the Emerging Professionals group and our increased involvement with the University of Glamorgan. I think that it would be reasonable to say that our first ever attendance at this year’s University of Glamorgan Fresher’s Faire was quite an experience for all who attended.

In a concerted effort to increase the numbers attending the Branch Technical Evenings, we have also seen steady growth throughout this year and this is perhaps borne out by tonight’s turn out, which is well up on the 9 or so who attended last years AGM and talk.

Unfortunately, as a Branch, we cannot completely insulate ourselves from the ill’s of the current economic climate and it’s effect on our Industry and as such, events which rely on outside organisations taking places and therefore spending money have suffered over the past 2 years. Despite the Branch putting on a very good programme at this year Annual

Seminar and the undoubted draw of the Annual Dinner itself, numbers at these events have continued to fall. What is encouraging is that the Branch has taken steps not only to protect itself from the financial ramifications of these problems but has, through initiatives such as relocating the Seminar to Newport next year hopefully reversed the trend and we will see increases in the numbers attending in the future. I believe these actions are to be commended and I wish the committee every success in achieving these goals in the coming years.

Finally, I would like to close by thanking each and every one of the Branch Officers and Committee for all of the help and assistance given to me over the past 2 years. Whether history dictates that my Chairmanship has been a success or not is now academic, as there isn’t any time left to change things one way or the other however, what I can say with some certainty is the last 2 years have been a real blast and I thank you all once again for that. I am now however looking forward to being able to settle back into Committee life and give as much support as possible to the Branch and to our new Branch Chairman,Martyn Evans.

In this respect, all that remains is for me now is to hand over the Chairman’s medal to Martyn and in doing so wish him all the very best for his forthcoming Chairmanship of the Branch.