The end of May and into June has been an incredibly busy and rewarding period for me. It all started with a trip to Northern Ireland for the CIWM NI and Recycle NI Waste & Resource Management Conference. It was great to catch up with members and hear from a range of inspiring speakers, including our very own Tom McBeth.
A big thank you must go to Dave Reaney from Belfast City Council, who generously gave up his time to show us around the area, sharing his experiences of growing up through a very different chapter in its history. We stopped off for a fantastic meal before finishing the day with a well-earned ice cream.
I also took the opportunity to enjoy a few days of annual leave, exploring the city and meeting some truly great people. It’s a place I’m already looking forward to returning to next year.
After a brief pause over half term and the bank holiday, things quickly ramped up again. The week began with a small bit of airtime on BBC local news, following Niamh McBride (Material Focus), who had done all the hard work for GMB live from our MRF in Ford. The discussion focused on vapes and the situation 12 months on from the single-use ban.
This was followed by recording a podcast for EfW Net with host Dr Stephen Wise and Dr Anna Willetts, where we explored waste crime and its consequences, a really important and timely topic.
Next came a trip to London to attend a workshop on a vision for critical minerals, organised by UCL’s Policy Impact Unit in partnership with Ecogenesys. It was a valuable session where we discussed our approach to capturing minerals and what more can be done. My thanks to UCL for hosting such a well-run and engaging day.
From there, it was on to Birmingham for Whitespace Work Software Connect 2026. I had the pleasure of chairing a panel on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and judging and presenting at the first Whitespace National Waste and Recycling Awards for its customers. Thanks go to the excellent LGR panel: Charlie Edwards, Simon Aitken, Rosa Tanfield and Shirley Procter-Dow.
I must also thank Whitespace for the warm welcome. I was genuinely impressed by the event, the team, and the overall delivery real credit to Mark Garvey. Congratulations to all the award winners.
Finally, I round off this blog during some annual leave while attending the LARAC Scotland Conference 2026. The event has been fantastic, and thanks go to the entire team for their hard work in making it happen, and to our Scotland representative, Solomon Ede.
The timing worked out perfectly, as it coincided with our 25th wedding anniversary. We’ve made the most of some well-earned time together, exploring Scotland visiting Stirling Castle, enjoying a boat cruise on Loch Lomond, and taking in the hidden side of Glasgow Central Station on a fascinating tour led by the brilliant Paul. If you haven’t experienced it, I’d highly recommend it the ticket sales support vital historical restoration work.
