LARAC UK Conference 2022 in early October was the biggest so far, with more than 450 delegates attending!
As a scholar, attending such an event can be a little daunting, we know this from their reports mentioning being “nervous” and “apprehensive”, so we help ease them into this by holding a scholars’ only session the day before conference starts. This session was led by John Coates, LARAC’s Head of External Affairs, with help from three Exec members (Cindy, Gareth and Vicki) as well as REPIC, the sponsors of the scholarship programme.
After this we have Chair’s drinks just ahead of the Quiz Night/Meet the Exec session, and there the scholars can take time to network a bit more in a relaxed environment. This really does help them prepare for two full days of conference, networking and workshops, and the relationships they forge are incredibly valued.
We ask all our scholars to write a brief report on how the three days shaped up for them, their reactions to it, lessons learned, beneficial experiences. Having read all the reports we can say that we seem to have achieved our goals for them, but let’s hear from them in their own words. We’d like to thank them all for coming, bringing their enthusiasm and engaging enthusiastically with the whole event.
If you are thinking of applying to our scholarship next year, it’s a really good idea to read on and share the experiences of scholars this year. Also read their reports in full.
Scholars Session:
“Upon arrival, on the Tuesday, even though I had read the instructions and guides a million times I was still a little apprehensive about the experience, but I was soon put at ease, realising everyone was in the same boat as me. The Scholars seminar was the ice breaker, to help me understand what LARAC was all about, and I relaxed a bit more which I needed.”
“Leading up to the event I was feeling quite apprehensive, having not been to anything like this previously or to LARAC before. Although I must say all the information received from LARAC about what was going to happen during the event was gratefully received and was so informative, so this really helped.”
“Meeting other scholars, a day early was a great idea, it gave us some time to meet each other and get accustomed to the surroundings.”
“As a graduate beginning my career in waste management this year, the LARAC conference was my first experience at an event that ran over multiple days. I was nervous to begin with however those feelings left quickly after attending the scholar seminar and the pre-conference evening event. The Scholar reps and LARAC staff were so welcoming and really took the pressure off which allowed me to enjoy the pre-conference events, creating a relaxing environment to engage with other scholars and attendees.”
“The seminar was followed by an interesting discussion on e-cigarette disposal on the back of REPIC’s presentation. I enjoyed learning about a different perspective and role within the waste industry from REPIC – Simon was very knowledgeable and engaging.”
Meet The Exec Event:
“Meet the exec drinks and buffet was very well thought out and it was easy to meet and network with other scholars. The quiz was good fun. This event made it easy to link up with other scholars over the next couple of days. We all realised we had a fascination with bins!”
“The welcome provided to LARAC Scholars on the eve of the conference was warm, friendly and informative. It was slightly surreal to be able to meet Cathy Cook and John Coates in person when I had only ever seen them virtually on webinars over the past few years!”
“I enjoyed the welcoming process for the scholarship and the networking that followed it was a good way to bring everyone new to LARAC into the fold with ease. I left LARAC feeling inspired, with fresh ideas for future projects I have planned.”
“At the end of the day, the buzzword at the conference was ‘networking’ and the LARAC team certainly structured the event to provide as many opportunities as possible to enable this.”
Day One:
“Starting the day, I was not expecting to see that variety of exhibitors, I had heard of a couple which my council use, but it was great learning about new suppliers and services out in the market.”
“Day one of the conference was well-structured to provide information on common themes and to enable delegates to make their frustrations known to the policy-makers in the room.”
“During the conference we were encouraged to ask questions both in person and using SLIDO, I thought this was a great idea as not everybody feels confident to ask questions in person, but this way they were still able to clear up any confusion they may have been experiencing.”
“Being able to ask questions of IBM and Eunomia was a great opportunity, it was really informative and a great insight into the current state and thinking behind policies.”
“The most interesting part of day one for me was the panel debate. I think the right range of people were on the panel and it gave an in-depth insight into the implications of the upcoming policy changes. This session also gained a lot of audience participation which was great to hear different perspectives.”
Awards Night:
“The awards night was a great experience celebrating all of the worthy nominees and winners, seeing the comedian Alun Cochrane was an added bonus”
“The awards dinner was a brilliant evening showcasing the amazing work local authorities and their communities are doing across the country! It was great to learn more about the variety of work going on and network with others on the table about what they are doing in their local areas.”
“At the awards I was placed on a table away from my colleagues. This was important as it forced me to talk to the other people on the table instead of relying on people I already knew. These discussions were brilliant and provided me with the opportunity to delve deeper into how these councils dealt with the problems they faced.”
Day Two:
“The second day of seminars didn’t disappoint, and we managed to apply for a pot of funding after listening to one of the talks. We also watched a great promotional video which has inspired us to do one for our own department. I will be wanting to come again next year but I think that may be a challenge as everyone else in my team would now like to attend since I told them how valuable an experience it was!”
“The workshops were one of my favourite layouts of the sessions as we had a chance to discuss what was being presented with our tables. I wish I could’ve attended more of them! The flats workshop was very interesting, I liked Re:London’s ‘Keep Lambeth Fresh’ comms as well as the floor stickers which I had not seen before.”
“Implementing a service change (WRAP) was a fantastic workshop, the use of large Gantt charts on the walls so you can visualise the timeline for service change was great, and much more helpful than looking at a computer screen.”
“I attended the workshops on waste crime and training and green skills. Both were really engaging, I particularly liked the 2 ends of the spectrum in waste crime, from small scale fly-tipping to organized crime involved in waste.”
“I found the Re-use and repair workshop very informative, we had lots of discussion around the different approaches to Re-use and repair and of the social value it can bring to the community.”
“To end (Day Two), we heard from a speaker from each country in the UK whose council had a high recycling rate. I was very intrigued to hear about the different legislation and targets.”
Overall:
“To conclude, I had a fantastic few days and I was certainly buzzing with ideas at the end of it. If anybody has the opportunity to become a scholar please take it. You will get so much out of it and meet so many lovely people.”
“The conference as a whole was a fantastic opportunity to network with others across the country and to share experiences and frustrations.”
“Overall LARAC 2022 was a great event, it brought us (our industry) together and gave us the opportunity to share experiences, learnings and inspire each other with our achievements. Waste and recycling sector is often overlooked, but it is one of the most important services that council can provide, and it is crucial for us all to carry on the great work we do, but also think outside of the box for inspiring ideas of how we can make the change and create cleaner greener boroughs across the country. It is great to be recognised, thank you LARAC.”
“What a brilliant conference! A great opportunity to learn more about the waste industry from experts and other local authority officers.”
“On return to my authority, I have countless projects and organisations to research, networking to follow up and inspiration on how I can further develop my own WEEE project with thanks to the knowledge shared from other delegates. The Scholarship has provided insight that I might not have gained without this opportunity, LARAC & REPIC are providing an invaluable opportunity for people fresh into the world of waste.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed the LARAC conference and have come away with an abundance of project ideas and communication techniques to take back to my Council and colleagues. Overall, the conference has given me a refreshed enthusiasm for my role within the UK waste industry and I’m excited for where my career in the UK waste industry will take me in the years to come.”
“It was a fantastic event and I can’t recommend the scholar programme highly enough, thank you REPIC and LARAC.”
“I feel invigorated and have come back to my authority full of ideas of how we can improve and use other Authorities experiences as a learning curve.”
“The conference had an atmosphere of openness and trust which contributed to the honest nature of the conversations I had, especially around contamination rates. To hear the same frustrations being raised by neighbouring authorities was reassuring and contextualised barriers we are all facing. I suddenly felt a part of something bigger than just the city and local authority I work in and apart of the national conversation. From the scholars seminar to the awards dinner, I felt welcomed, supported and included. I hope to attend for years to come!”
“The organisation of the event was excellent, including the food, accommodation, schedule, and layout. I enjoyed talking to the sponsors as well as other officers during the breaks. Overall, can I say it has been an amazing experience and the awards night was fun.”
“I would say that it was both educational and very enjoyable event, I have taken lots of ideas back which I’m keen to explore in my own authority.”
“I took away a lot of insight, understanding and contacts from the Scholarship programme and conference as well as a new-found confidence in my place within the waste industry”
In Summary:
“To anybody considering applying for the 2023 scholarship programme – DO IT!! You will have the time of your life, meeting new people, learning new things, eating and drinking until you drop, and most importantly, having fun.”
There were a couple of helpful and constructive criticisms, which we have noted and will take forward to next year.
And it doesn’t end there! On 16 November 2022, REPIC is hosting a webinar for our scholars and then on 15 March 2023, there will be site visits to the REPIC facilities for all our scholars. If you want to be a part of this valuable programme next year, look out for the 2023 Scholarship being launched in April/May 2023.
