ANNUAL REPORTS
Mr President, sponsors, loyal Club members, fellow committee members and other supporters, I am delighted to be addressing you in my new role as Chairman of the Club.
Dr John Read explained at last year’s AGM that he would be standing down, after four years as our Chairman. Officially, this happened at our Annual Garden Party last August, when Walter Herriot, as our President, thanked John for his service and for the significant contribution that he has made to the Club during his period of office. I would like to take this opportunity to ensure that John’s contribution is recorded in our official archives. The Club has been fortunate to have faithful stewards during its eighteen years. What John has done is to build upon that stewardship and to enhance the Club’s reputation. Undoubtedly, this has been partly because of John’s own reputation and standing in the business community. But this has not been done in an egotistical way. It is also partly due to his ability – as one might expect of the chairman of a PLC – to involve people and to work with disparate parties, to achieve a communal purpose. On a more personal level, I will miss his humorous chairmanship, under which the committee’s proceedings could be both business-like and enjoyable. John, again, the Club thanks you most sincerely for all your selfless and hard work over the four years. The Club – and the committee in particular – are very pleased that you are staying on as a committee member.
2009 was another good year for the Club. At a time when even countries are going bankrupt, the strategic work of Honorary Treasurer, Steve Sheppard, and the valuable financial support of NatWest are very important to us. We will shortly hear from the Honorary Treasurer, but for now thank you Steve for your forward-thinking approach. And thank you to Valerie Dring for arranging NatWest’s sponsorship.
The quality of our speakers and the diversity of our subject matter continue to amaze me. He was on the committee for only a year, until he emigrated to France a few months ago, but Trefor Mitchell brought some fresh thinking to our event planning. One result of this was our event last November on “The Evolution of Evolution”, held at the Sedgwick Museum. That event, as often happens, has some link to the work of the University of Cambridge – and indeed that event was intended to connect with the University’s 800th birthday. We have also increased our relationship with Anglia Ruskin University, who kindly arranged an entire event for us last June. We are fortunate also to have support from other organisations, notably our other sponsors, St John’s Innovation Centre, TWI and Webtec Ltd, whom I thank for their continued help in providing our seminar venues and logistics. And I thank our President, Walter Herriot, for his continuing patronage.
I would also like to thank the committee members for the time that they give up and for the effort that they put in, ensuring that we have a full programme of well-organised events each year. Much of the administrative burden falls upon our Honorary Secretary, Jamie Murray, who has kindly agreed to remain in post for a further year. Jamie, we are all very grateful to you for efficient work.
Looking ahead, my hope is simply that the Cambridge Enterprise & Technology Club continues to do more of the same. That we can obtain distinguished guest speakers and that the auditorium is pleasingly full for each event suggests that we are doing things right. The difficult economic times in which the UK finds itself is a context that we cannot ignore. We need to ensure that the Club remains financially sound. As part of the business community, the Club has an important role to play in providing a support network for individuals and a platform for local companies & organisations. By the time that we reach the Club’s twentieth anniversary celebrations in the summer of 2012, I hope that we will be looking back at another successful chapter in the life of this tremendous Club.
Guy Mulley, Chairman 25 February 2010
2009 was another good year for the Cambridge Enterprise & Technology Club. Average attendances, at our monthly seminars, were on a par with 2008 at 43, which shows a continued interest in the seminars that the committee are organising. There were a total of 462 attendees (2008 456) at all events, and al-though many came to more than one event (the maximum was 7), 241 people (2008 245) attended at least one of our events. It is nice to see that the club still manages to attract a broad spectrum of individuals. Apart from the Garden Party, again a record year with 94 attendees, regularly the most attended event, the best attended event attracted 56!
The nine speaking events, at which 30 speakers presented, covered topics as wide ranging as Global Economics, a visit to Babraham Biosciences, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, Social Networking, a visit to Anglia Ruskin, revolutionary material processes & welding techniques at TWI & Reactive Packaging. The final event of 2009 was the aforementioned best attended event at the Sedgwick Museum entitled the Evolution of Evolution in honour of the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth. Planning for next month’s events will start in the next month or so – any suggestions that you might have for events will be gratefully received.
The events ran smoothly throughout the year, not least because of the work of the team here at St John’s Innovation Centre and at TWI. Many thanks to them for all their work throughout the year. I would also like to thank the team at Anstey Hall, the excellent caterers, Chef de la Maison, and the wind quartet Just Reeds, for ensuring that the Garden Party was again, a huge success.
Lastly, I would like to thank all the members and guests who support the Club and its events.
Jamie Murray, Hon Secretary, 25th February 2010
The Club is very fortunate in benefiting from the sponsorship of the following organisations:-
There are also other companies who give us generous help with specific meetings and services.
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