What's right for me?

There are lots of Young Planner committees across the nations and regions that are busy organising activities and events with you in mind. Find out more about your local group.

Each committee is linked to a local Regional Activities Committee or National Executive Committee and joining these as a Student or Licentiate is often the first step for Young Planners into the wider RTPI. So, if you fancy branching out, why not start here?

There are also a small number of places each year on the General Assembly for Student or Licentiate members. We also elect one Young Planner to the Board of Trustees every two years. Nominations open in June with positions starting the following January.

In England, in your local area you can get involved in the Regional Activities Committee (RAC) that have working groups related to all sorts of aspects of RTPI work. If you’re tight for time, you can join a working group without being on the RAC. And there are also ad-hoc opportunities too, such as event speakers and task and finish groups. It’s worth getting in touch with the relevant Regional Co-ordinator who would be happy to talk you through the opportunities.

In your Nation there are National Executive Committees that are looking for volunteers to help with all sorts of aspects of RTPI work. In addition, in Scotland there are seven regional chapters that would allow you to get involved in a local group.

For those interested to get involved at a national level, there are a small number of places each year on the General Assembly for student or Licentiate members. Nominations open in June with positions starting the following January.

Have you considered progressing to the Vice Chair and Chair roles within the group, committee or network that you’re in? This is a great way to build on the experience you have in a familiar area. Speak to your key contact to find out more.  

Standing Committees – all the RTPI standing committees need active members involved and once there you could also progress to Vice Chair and Chair. Nominations open in October with positions starting the following January. 

General Assembly – There are a small number of places on the GA for Students/Associates, Licentiate, Legal Associates and Chartered members each year. Nominations open in May with positions starting the following January. A proportion of roles on the RTPI standing committees are made up of GA members so by getting involved on GA you’ll have an opportunity to get involved in another area too. 

Board of Trustees - The RTPI is governed, under the provisions of its Royal Charter and Byelaws through a Board of Trustees. Elections open once a year in May. The Board of Trustees has four strategic committees: Audit and Risk  Committee, Finance Committee, Nomination Subcommittee and Appointments & Remuneration Committee.  

Vice President and President – have you considered the role of Vice President and President of the RTPI? Nominations open in June with the 12-month Vice president position starting in January and followed by the presidential year. Find out more about the governance of the RTPI here.  

Planning Aid England – offers a range advice-focussed opportunities for Chartered members including: providing general planning guidance to the public via an email advice service, delivering bespoke casework support, and supporting workshops to help communities get involved in the plan-making process. 

Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) and Assessment of Professional Diploma (APD) Assessors. Chartered members work with those progressing through their APC and APD assessments. 

If you’re not able to sign up to a regular commitment as part of a committee there are still activities you could get involved in that don’t take up lots of time.

Write a blog –Share your experience of your area of expertise with other RTPI members through a blog. 

Share a photo – Are you doing anything within your planning role that others might be interested in? Why not share some pictures using #rtpi and share with other planners.

Events – Our events sometimes need an extra pair of hands to run smoothly on the day. So, even if you’ve not got time to plan and organise the event, let your region or nation contact know that you’re happy to help. They’ll be happy to hear from you.

Working Groups – You can get involved in an area of interest in your region or nation without having to sit on the Regional Activities Committee. Depending on what’s going on in your area, you could get involved in awards, international, policy and research, CPD or even social and networking. The relevant Regional Co-ordinator or contact in the nation would be happy to hear from you.

School Ambassadors – Do you love your job and think you could inspire young people to consider planning as a future career choice? Volunteer Ambassadors go into schools to give talks and you can find out more here.

Retired members can continue their involvement with the Institute in various ways.

Get involved locally through the relevant Nation / Region.

You could join the Partnership and Accreditation Panel. Find out more here.

Mentoring e.g. through our NURTURE programme, APC candidates, supporting undergraduates. We are currently developing our mentoring offering and the wealth of experience and expertise Retired members can offer the next generation of planners is invaluable.

Governance roles such as joining the General Assembly, the Board of Trustees, Standing Committee or other Panels. 

Whilst retired members are not able to provide planning advice, you can share your personal opinion and views based on your experience. You can find more information here.