Welcome to this week's e-news.

Last Friday evening I was a guest of the Built Environment Hub (Constructing Excellence in the East Midlands) at their Awards dinner in Nottingham. Well done to all the winners, especially Robert Woodhead and project team, who collected four Awards for their work on Lincoln Castle; Heritage, The Legacy-Sustainability Award, Project of the Year and Young Achiever Award. Congratulations also go to Naomi Atherton from North East based consultants Summers Inman who was Project Manager on the Lincoln Castle Project. We look forward to seeing all the winners at the National Awards in October.

Over the past two days Leanne and I have been catching up with many of you attending the Chartered Institute of Housing conference in Manchester. We would especially like to thank Gus Robinson Developments and Esh Group for their fantastic hospitality last night, we had a great time!

Tomorrow evening Leanne and I will be attending the CIOB North East's Summer Ball and Awards at Wynyard Hall. We would like to wish everyone the very best of luck as the CIOB will announce the winning projects from the past 50 years in the region.

Next week we have two events taking place, on Tuesday evening we have our 'Summer Networking & Drinks’ with Sintons which is being held on their office balcony in Newcastle, so let’s hope it doesn’t rain!  On Wednesday morning in association with DAC Beachcroft we are holding 'Public Procurement - a Guide to your success'. Ruth Connorton and Tim Dennis will both look at the recent changes to the procurement guidance, tips for success on bids and more.

The following week we have Professor Andrew Thomas coming to the region to deliver a workshop on 'BIM Government Soft Landings and Collaboration' on Thursday 9th July. Andrew will discuss the Government Soft Landings, policy and performance issues and how you can use the Governments Construction 2025 Strategy to be delivered on public projects. We also have a Clay Pigeon Shooting Day on July 8th with the FBE, which was great fun last year.

Please see below for further details and instructions on how to book.

Best wishes

Catriona

- 2 day SITE SUPERVISOR SAFETY TRAINING SCHEME (SSSTS) – 24th & 25th June (£220+vat)
- 1 day H&S AWARENESS (Site Safety Plus) – 15th or 31st July (£115+vat) 
- 1 day DIRECTORS ROLE - 14th July(£115+vat)
- 5 day SITE MANAGER SAFETY TRAINING SCHEME (SMSTS) – 2nd 9th 16th 23rd & 30th July (£480+vat)

Full day CITB courses (costs inc. fees, manuals & buffet lunch). To register for any of the above courses please contact Leanne on 0191 374 0233 or leanne@cene.org.uk   

These courses will all be held at Carney Consultancy's office. 

Date: Tuesday 30th June 2015
Time: 4.00pm – 7.00pm
Venue: Balcony, Offices of Sintons LLP, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE46DB

You're invited to!!

Sintons’ Construction team in conjunction with Constructing Excellence in the North East is delighted to invite you to their beginning of summer networking and drinks event.

This informal networking event will provide an opportunity for you to meet and catch up with professionals from the Built Environment.

Our Construction and Engineering team provides advice on all aspect of construction and engineering law, both contentious and non-contentious.

The event will be held at our office and a light buffet with refreshments will be provided. If you would like to register please contact Leanne on 0191 374 0233 or leanne@cene.org.uk  

Date: Wednesday 1st July 2015
Time: 8.30am – 10.30am
Venue: Offices of DAC Beachcroft LLP, Newcastle upon Tyne
Cost: £20+VAT CENE Members / £40+VAT Non Members (Cancellation policy is within 48 hours notice)

This event is designed for those bidding for public sector contracts and will be a practical and interactive session working through the procurement process (PQQ, ITT and standstill) providing pointers as to what to look out for; how to get noticed; when and how best to raise issues; and how to deal with standstill letters and debrief meetings.

How a bidder approaches a procurement process can be as important as the actual solution it is offering. Bidders aware of both their rights and the authority's obligations are more likely to be successful and are more likely to submit bids which meet the advertised requirements. Conversely, bidders who are able to offer low priced, effective solutions may not necessarily be awarded contracts which they are best placed to perform due to a lack of knowledge of the procurement process itself. This session attempts to ensure that you do not fall into that latter category.

The session will be led by Ruth Connorton, DAC Beachcroft's national head of procurement law and Tim Dennis, a solicitor specialising in procurement litigation. Ruth is rated in Chambers as a leading lawyer in this field and is "well respected for commercial, pragmatic advice". Ruth and Tim have real hands on experience working with bidders and the public sector across all sectors and have advised on many leading cases. 

This event follows a session run by Ruth and Tim last year which received great feedback from members both in terms of content and style.   

To register please contact Leanne on 0191 3740233 or leanne@cene.org.uk

Date: Wednesday 8th July 2015
Time: 9.30am – 2.00pm
Venue: Bywell Shooting Ground (turn left off the A1 just North of Morpeth opposite the 'Airfield' windsock), Bywell Farm Cottages, Morpeth, NE65 9QQ
Cost: £75+VAT Members / £100+VAT Non Members

After the highly successful inaugural event last year The Forum for the Built Environment North East Branch in association with Constructing Excellence NE is delighted to once again warmly invite you along to their Annual Clay Pigeon Shooting Day on Wednesday 8th July.

We will meet in the Clubhouse at 9.30 am for tea / biscuits followed by individual instruction, practice sessions in groups of 6 then a coffee break followed by a light-hearted 'competition'…with prizes…you don't get to keep the pigeon!

Lunch will be at the close by, 'Northumberland Arms' in the village of Felton.

Cost is inclusive of instruction, guns and cartridges, tea/coffee/biscuits and excellent mouth-watering buffet lunch (drinks extra), and the opportunity to meet colleagues in the construction industry.

The event is for both beginners and those who have shot before, ladies and gentlemen…with low recoil guns where appropriate (to avoid any sore shoulders the next day!)

To book please contact Leanne on 0191 3740233 or leanne@cene.org.uk  

Date: 9th July 2015
Time: 8.30am – 12.30pm
Venue: Offices of Ward Hadaway, Sandgate House, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3DX
Cost: £75+VAT CENE Members / £100+VAT Non Members (Cancellation policy is within 48 hours notice)

Words are like people – they can, and sometimes do change over time. With words can get high-jacked rather than allowed to become established through normal usage.

The cases in point are the words collaboration and the use of the phase soft landings. Collaboration on the one hand is a relatively new word that was originally associated with working with the enemy in a traitorial way.

The term soft landings has its origins in the early days of flight and was subsequently adopted into the business cycle to describe an economic shift from growth to slow-growth or even recession.

Today both have been fostered by the Construction Industry but in so doing what is their new meaning?

The best way to make sure you’re not caught-out and able to fully commit in a business venture in 2015 is to come along to this event and listen to what is presented and discussed so perhaps avoiding  being red-faced and uncomfortably stuck feeling like a square peg in a round hole in the future.

About the session:
Andrew Thomas will explain and consider both collaboration and soft landings and what they mean and are applied within Construction and the Built Environment. Looking at the policy and performance issues as well as the future of these agendas.

Govt construction strategies and 2025 strategy both state Collaboration and In Use are areas that can deliver efficiencies and are expected on Public Projects - can you afford to ignore this opportunity to learn about them both?

Your speaker: Professor Andrew Thomas, F.I.C.E., M.B.A., M.I.O.D., DILIGENTIA     

To register please contact Leanne McAngus on 01913740233 or leanne@cene.org.uk

Date: Thursday 9th July 2015
Time: 5.30pm til late
Venue: The Stand, Comedy Club, Newcastle upon Tyne
Cost: £8.50 per person includes drink on arrival & a burger! (Payments for the tickets MUST be taken on the evening)

Generation 4 Change North East in association with RICS Matrics are delighted to invite you along to a fun filled evening with laughter from various acts whilst catching up with built environment professionals from the North East.

Tickets are priced at £8.50 per person and does include a burger and drink on arrival with entry to the show. We are limited at 80 people so book now to avoid disappointment!

To book please contact Leanne on 0191 3740233 or leanne@cene.org.uk

Date: 11th September 2015
Time: 8.30am – 6.00pm
Venue: Close House Hotel, Newcastle upon Tyne
Cost: £90+VAT per person (enquire for a fourball)

Come along to this fantastic charity golf day being supported by Constructing Excellence in the North East along with the North East committee members of the Lighthouse Club – a construction industry charity on September 11th to help raise funds.

Registration with bacon butties will be available from 8.30am and see world trick shot entertainment by Kevin Carpenter. Excellent networking opportunities along with great prizes up for grabs including a £3k holiday!

To register your place or if you wish to enter a four ball please contact Leanne on 01913740233 or leanne@cene.org.uk  

Date: Friday 18th September 2015
Time: 7.00pm till late
Venue: Beamish Hall Hotel, Co. Durham, DH9 0YB
Cost: £50 NAWIC Members / £55 Non Members, tables of 10 are available at £500

While most plan their holiday break around this time of year we are already thinking about the end of summer and planning our annual END OF SUMMER BALL

NAWIC NE invite you to book your places at the End of Summer Ball in September and join us to celebrate yet another year in our usual style. This year's charity will be the Children's Heart Unit Fund, another worthy cause!

Tickets seem to go faster each year we host this so please get booking now to avoid disappointment. This year we will be returning to the Beamish Hall in Durham by popular demand.

Dress code: Black tie for the gents, ladies….you know what to do!

Book early to avoid disappointment, please RSVP to Leanne McAngus on 0191 3740233 or leanne@cene.org.uk 

As always we would appreciate any form of sponsorship for this event. Without exception, each year has been well supported and we have been able to donate generously to the elected charity for that year. Contact Leanne for further details.

Date: Friday 23rd October 2015    
Time: 7.00pm drinks reception, 7.30pm Start, 12.00am Carriages 
Venue: Marriott Grosvenor Square Hotel, London   
Cost: £175+VAT individual / £1,050+VAT Table of 6 (tables of 10/12 can be requested)

Constructing Excellence in the North East are delighted to be supporting our National office for a fourth year in a row preparing this year’s National Awards. Now in their ninth year, these prestigious Awards seen as one of the highlights of the industry’s calendar will be attended by over 450 built environment professionals from across the UK.

Throughout the year, regional Constructing Excellence Awards have been held across the country and this finale event will recognise the overall winners from categories such as Integration & Collaborative working, Sustainability, Young Achiever (G4C) and Health & Safety with this year’s new award BIM Project of the Year.

This event is a great opportunity for companies that wish to be seen as proactively supporting and leading innovation within the Built Environment and information on sponsorship can be requested from Constructing Excellence North East (CENE) or on the National website.

To book your tickets please contact Leanne McAngus on 0191 374 0233 or leanne@cene.org.uk. (This year tickets will be sent electronically to ensure you/yours guests receive those prior to the Awards dinner.)

Would your organisation like to be seen as sponsoring at this prestigious Awards dinner, contact Leanne for package details and benefits! 

Date: Thursday 29th October 2015
Time: 6.45pm registration, 7.15pm start, 10.30pm Close
Venue: Centre for Life, Times Square, Newcastle upon Tyne
Parking: Times Square Multi Storey Car Park
Cost: £50+VAT per team of 5 (teams should consist of no more than 5)

Constructing Excellence in the North East are delighted to be once again holding their charity quiz night on Thursday 29th October 2015 at The Centre for Life and we would be happy if you would be able to join us for a fun filled evening with a variety of themed rounds to test everyone’s ability.

Registration is 6.45pm for a 7.15pm prompt start, the quiz is due to finish at 10.30pm with carriages at 11.15pm. A traditional “pie and peas” supper will be served during the evening. Mobile phones and encyclopaedias are prohibited during the quiz.

To book your team please contact Leanne McAngus at leanne@cene.org.uk or call 0191 374 0233.

There will be a raffle held during the evening and would appreciate your support with donations. If you would like to donate a prize please email Leanne. (Your logo will be displayed on the quiz guest list on the evening)

There is no objection to entering more than one team so please encourage your clients and work colleagues to join in!