IHBC members of all categories can help applications for accreditation and their CPD by helping their institute, and all for free, as there is no better or cheaper way than to simply get more involved with our work and help us help your career, all now with the easiest of starting points: just ‘Call Kate’, and email LETS@ihbc.org.uk!
IHBC Chair Mike Brown said: ‘Your institute is the primary specialist advocate for your work and career, so getting involved with us – and helping us work better on your behalf – is a brilliant, easy, free and targeted way to build your skills. And as the work can be linked to our Areas of Competence, these can cover any activities, from policy and training to finance and communications. What’s more, much of it can be done from the comfort of your work or home.’
‘And now we have the simplest of starting points: ‘Just ‘Call Kate’, as Kate Kendall, our ‘LETS’ officer, is able to let you know how your skills can be best put to use for all of us!’
How to Help
IHBC members can learn new skills or refine existing experience as CPD, and help the IHBC at the same time.
Members can help yourself and your institute by:
- learning about our benefits and services, to understand how as a member you can best use the IHBC to help your career
- helping in our training, to bring your skills and interests to our table, and
- getting involved in our voluntary operations, and help our networks of Branches, Committees and members support the work of your colleagues
- promoting our activities in your networks, which can be as easy as tapping your mobile!
You can check out some select links below, to find out how we work and kick-start your skills and CPD, and just ‘Call Kate’ and let her know what you might be able to do; simply email LETS@ihbc.org.uk!
- See what our Gus Astley Student Award entails, and offers, so you can raise awareness of its opportunities.
- Learn how our CPD recognition works, and encourage its use across your learning, training and educational networks.
- Let us know about local business and tender and business opportunities, and what these entail, so we can add them to our economic data on conservation-related works, by simply emailing contact@ihbc.org.uk
- Find out about how HESPR works, and encourage your employer, business or practice to join if appropriate.
- Develop your skills in publication or content, by seeing what you might contribute to our membership journal Context and its production.
- Promote the IHBC’s services for employment and training, by making sure your networks use our income-generating ‘Jobs etc’ service or our free ‘Awards etc’ page for awards, bursaries and the like.
- Suggest events to our members, including those where IHBC membership leaflets might be circulated, including for Jobs etc and HESPR, even attend select events or host IHBC stands, with travel costs refunded. Most event details are outlined on our calendar.
- And of course getting involved with your local Branch or relevant national committees and panels can be the best way to kick-start and refine the skills you need to improve your career! Find your Branch
IHBC Director Sean O’Reilly said; ‘Since we instituted ‘IHBC+’ as part of our new extended ‘experimental governance’, many IHBC members have busied themselves in support of their institute’s aims, getting more closely engaged with our work as volunteers while also improving their own skills and networks.’
‘Most especially, on our new UK-wide guidance forum ‘Council+’, members have been doing things like promoting IHBC CPD recognition with partners and getting more involved with developing guidance. That’s great news, but still only a start.’
‘Now we want to help all members get more involved in our work, and understand it better, while getting the skills, learning and CPD credit they need, all by offering the right sort of guidance and advice. For most members the best starting point – after our website – is our new LETS Liaison Officer, Kate. So if you want to help your career while you help us, just ‘Call Kate!’
Kate Kendall, IHBC’s LETS Liaison Officer and the institute’s new support for Branches, volunteers and colleagues, said: ‘One of the most exciting areas I’ve worked on has been helping Branches arrange the new suite of events that support membership applications by Affiliates. And already, as these encourage more proactive involvement with the IHBC, our members are helping in areas such as developing ties to private practices that seek HESPR membership; building links to charities and church interests that need training support, and to businesses, that just want our advice!’
‘So if you have an interest in getting more involved with us, and helping us do our job better while also learning about conservation practice and infrastructure, then let me know!
To contact Kate please email LETS@ihbc.org.uk
