End of Year Round-up

It’s been an eventful, successful and busy year for the Academy.

We’ve hosted a number of online events bookending our Congress in Belfast and preceding our Urbanism Awards held on London City Island last month.

We’ve launched our Small Grants Scheme aimed at our growing number of Young Urbanists, continue to promote the YU mentoring programme, and have recently embarked on a trial design review process with Cork City Council that we hope will act as a forerunner to other exercises which will allow the opportunity for the greater involvement of Academicians.

Here & Now has continued as a bi-monthly e-publication and our Scottish Advisory Group continues to lead the way in terms of our Regions and Nations network promoting events that relate particularly to the governmental and legal system of that country.

As a small (but select) membership group, help is always needed, whether with the aforementioned YU mentoring programme, the publication of Here & Now, or in joining one of our workgroups covering Events + Marketing, Membership + Sponsorship, or Policy. 

Most importantly please encourage your contacts, if appropriate, to consider the benefits which they might enjoy by becoming involved with the Academy, as a Member or Sponsor:

• Academician
• Young Urbanist
• Individual Member
• Group Membership
• Academic Group Membership
• Sponsor

2022 also witnessed a major change within our executive. With around 25 years of service between them, our formidable team of Linda Gledstone and Stephen Gallagher both decided to seek new challenges and stepped down from their roles with the Academy. Linda, who had been the ‘go to’ person in the Academy almost since its inception, eventually becoming our Managing Director, took the decision earlier this year to take a break and seek pastures new whilst Stephen, our Director of Engagement, had his acceptance of an elevated role with his other employer confirmed by their Board at almost the same time. We are grateful for their sterling contribution to the growth and success of the Academy over the years and wish them both well in their chosen careers in the future.

And as one door closes… we have been very happy to welcome Christine Smallwood as Managing Director and Connie Dales as our Programmes Coordinator. We feel fortunate to have successfully attracted them both to join our team and many of you will have engaged with them at the recent Awards event.

Approaching 2023 I take this opportunity to thank my fellow Board members, welcoming the new ones already in office and shortly welcoming the successful candidates who will take over from three of us, all past Chairs, who will step down this January – David Rudlin, Tony Reddy and myself. Jas Atwal will take over the Chair role at the same time and is an ideal person to take the Academy forward with your help.

Thank you all for your interest and support. I wish you and family all the best for the Festive Season and the New Year.

Andrew Burrell, AoU Chair