C O N T E X T 1 4 5 : J U LY 2 0 1 6 37 Director’s cut New threads and pale remnants schools (the success of which in part has helped pay for our new personnel) to our research and development work (not least the regular surveys of local authority capacity in England, now funded by Historic England), Fiona has helped to transform the IHBC from being an informal adviser to the sector, available only as and when volunteer capacity allowed, to being the dedicated service provider and knowledge base that so many recognise as the critical player in historic and built environment professional conservation standards in the UK today. That new capacity (and with me as director) rounds off the core professional staff in the IHBC’s operations. Support staff and consultants also play critical roles in delivering and extending our services and operations, working flexibly and offering the best top-level skills that we might hope to avail of. These include, among others, Bob Kindred in developing our Research Notes and related papers, and James Caird, our outgoing consultations secretary and nominated next chair. Being the IHBC, all these together could not operate without the advice, support, direction and input of the huge cadre of skilled volunteering experts who, as most in the IHBC know, underpin all we do, while also delivering so much. With all these new threads and more, it is clear that the IHBC today is very different from what it was a decade or so ago when I arrived as the institute’s first professional executive officer. Then I was fairly warned by trustees that they could not guarantee my post as they were not sure that members would continue to pay up following the rise in fees needed to secure the initial salary. It is easy to forget who and what we were then: IHBC fees, services and advocacy competed more with amenity societies than other professional bodies; the age profile of local authority organisation officers was the overriding structural concern; and the skills-set of IHBC members was still being promoted as a simple variant of archaeological practice within key parts of the then English Heritage, or as a At the time of writing we are setting up arrangements for the 2016 AGM in Worcester, the time when members will receive and respond to our reports for the 12 months to the end of September 2015. That backward look makes it very clear that the gentle rise in new capacity at the institute’s national office is a huge help in improving the benefits, support, services and profile we can offer our members and the wider sector. Our new branch and event support officer, Carla Pianese, has been helping extend our representation and outreach at key branch, regional and national events – in Belfast and for the annual school programme for example – and far beyond too, at important partner events from the Place Alliance to Civic Voice APPGs (All Party Parliamentary Groups) and much more. At the same time Kate Kendall, appointed last year as lead and liaison officer in our learning education training and standards (LETS) operations, maintains our focus on members and non-members who seek accreditation with the IHBC.Working across branch-led events throughout the UK, Kate has helped enlighten practitioners who can now be counted in their hundreds. She has also been leading the scheme to encourage conservation standards, practice and awareness in the Church of England’s diocesan advisory committees (DACs), notably given the hard work of their secretaries, support officers and advisers. Part of an initiative inspired and overseen through the ChurchCare programme by Christina Emerson, the church buildings officer there, at this stage Kate’s main role is to explain the basics and benefits of structured IHBC engagement and membership to the officers and stakeholders at regional DAC meetings. At the same time, with some capacity freed up by Carla and Kate, Fiona Newton is expanding her own roles and duties beyond the coalface operations that she has so successfully helped to shape, manage and deliver. From the current exemplary arrangements for the
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