Rob Diamond, Sustainability Associate at our Colchester office, has volunteered at the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) North East Region for the past 10 years – which has involved travel to various locations abroad, including representing the British Embassy at a conference in Latvia.
How long have you volunteered in this role for? Having acted as Secretary, Treasurer, Chair and Vice Chair for ten years, my role for the past few months has been University Liaison at the CIBSE.
Why did you decide to start this role? The CIBSE and its members drive excellence in the building services industry and unlock economic, environmental and social value in the built environment. As someone who is passionate about making a positive impact on the environmental crises facing us all, it seemed like an important thing for me to get involved with.
What do you enjoy about your role? As University Liaison,I have enjoyed both organising CPD and assisting and guiding new engineers and those considering entering the industry. My previous roles in the organisation have helped me meet many interesting people worldwide who I might not have had an opportunity to meet otherwise. I have also really enjoyed the travel the roles entail – one particular highlight was representing the British Embassy during a trip to Latvia which promoted building engineering services to students there.
Do you have any advice for others wanting to volunteer? My advice to others considering volunteering is to attend a meeting or two to see if it’s something that attracts, and if so get stuck in! We do give up personal time, but the overall benefits far outweigh the sacrifices. Given the new opportunities and challenges in the world today, building services engineers in particular can play a significant part.