Help us deliver real value...

In this fast moving industry of ours it is very easy to overlook the importance of basic housekeeping and paying your professional institution’s subscription could be one of them. If you are anything like me I put the paperwork to one side, keep meaning to find that ten minutes to fill out the form but somehow the deadline goes by and I still haven’t done it. However I hope you will agree that the benefits of CIBSE membership are well established and being part of a respected Institution really can have a positive impact on both your career path and personal development. I guess if you are reading this it is a statement of the obvious. However we have almost 2,000 members who haven’t yet paid their subscriptions.

CIBSE sends out renewal reminders at the end of every year in the aim to have subscriptions paid up by the first week of January or at the very latest-end of January. The annual subscription runs from January to December. Unfortunately, every year we are required to send out frequent reminders to late payers, finally ending with a telephone call or at worse members being struck off.

This takes time and uses valuable resources which, in essence, could be avoided completely. CIBSE offers a number of ways for you to make that payment including a discounted direct debit payment method or paying on line. If your company pays for your professional institution’s subscription we believe that it is also in your interest to follow up any late payment so that this is addressed. Equally our processes are not foolproof and with members changing e-mail addresses, jobs and telephone numbers we do make mistakes and chase people that have paid or call them by the wrong title. We aim for perfection but it simply is not that straightforward to track the 25,000 or so “live” names and addresses.

If you are about to retire please write to us and we will see that you are offered concessionary retired rates and if you are leaving the industry we will amend our records accordingly. Please help us to help you.

Many important changes are taking place in CIBSE such as the growing register of Low Carbon Energy Assessors, changes that will benefit individual members and the industry as a whole. Professional Learning, an integrated programme of courses which matches the very best training and development programmes available, aims to provide you with the underpinning knowledge you need to take on greater responsibilities, prove your competence in the workplace and achieve a higher grade of CIBSE membership and the associated additional benefits. A new Course Programme for 2008/2009 is now available.

With the growing need for a competent and knowledgeable work force, a progressive organisation is now expected to be trained and informed to a high standard in this competitive industry, don’t be left behind!

So in quite blunt terms we need your help to deliver real value for you and the Institution. It would be very helpful if you can pay on time and keep your records up to date. As we grow in numbers and activities it is a challenge for the staff and our processes to keep pace. CIBSE, you will be glad to know, is one of the very few Institutions that has grown both in number and in standing and we would like you to help us to build on this success. Please contact the Accounts Department on 020 8772 3655 and pay by credit card or set up a Direct Debit or pay on line at www.cibse.org

Stephen Matthews
CIBSE Chief Executive