South Cumbria and North Lancashire Branch - letter from the Chair

Welcome to South Cumbria & North Lancashire IOSH web pages. I hope that they will be of interest to our Branch members as well as to other IOSH members who attend our virtual and face-to face meetings or who follow us on social media.  I would also like to reach out to prospective members, or those who have recently joined IOSH.  We are a friendly bunch, so whatever your background, or wherever you are in your health and safety career, you will find a warm welcome at our meetings.

I would like to thank our previous Chairman, Gary McAteer and the committee who worked hard to provide an interesting and varied programme of relevant presentations during the recent Covid-19 pandemic (see https://iosh.com/health-and-safety-professionals/improve-your-knowledge/branches-and-groups/branches/south-cumbria-north-lancashire-branch/recent-events/ for details).  They managed to keep the Branch together through our regular ‘virtual’ meetings programme which not only provided Covid-19 updates and relevant learning opportunities for our members, but also showcased our Branch to a wider audience. Thanks to all concerned.

Thanks also to our members who stayed loyal to the Branch by attending and supporting our events.

Things have now moved on, and hopefully we can put the memories of Covid-19 and the effects of isolation behind us.  Thanks to research by two members we have a fantastic new venue, Crooklands Hotel, located close to junction 36 of the M6 motorway, with ample parking and great facilities.

Whilst we will continue to host virtual events, we have, in conjunction with the South Cumbria Occupational Safety and Health Group recommenced our face to face meetings.  These have included presentations from subject matter experts and demonstrations from equipment suppliers.  We have a programme of face to face and virtual events lined up for the future.

Please do get involved with our Branch.  A warm welcome awaits you, and there are always opportunities for networking and meeting up with your fellow health and safety professionals.  Committee members are always on hand to offer support and advice to anyone looking to develop their health and safety career or progress through the IOSH Membership grades.  Come and talk to us, we are all friendly and approachable.

Finally, if you have any suggestions or ideas for guest speakers, future events or topics of interest, please do let us know.

Thank you for continuing to support our Branch and we look forward to welcoming you in the future.

Ian Dandy

Chairman, IOSH South Cumbria and North Lancashire Branch

Disclaimer: The information and opinions expressed on this webpage are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).