When did you first join the RTPI?

2016

When did you first get actively involved as a volunteer?

2017

How did you get started, what was your first role?

My first volunteering role with the RTPI was as a student member of the Regional Activities Committee (RAC) as a way to make connections within the region early in my career and beyond my initial specialism of Minerals and Waste Planning.

Can you tell us more about your experience as a volunteer since then?

Since then, I have continued to be a member of the RAC for the East of England throughout my Masters study as a student member and moving through to licentiate. I was a member of the judging panel for the Regional Awards in 2018 and have delivered many careers presentations to our local Planning Schools, higher education/colleges and secondary schools. I became chair of the East of England Young Planners in November 2019 and established the Young Planners Committee in March 2020 (the only good news story from that month!). Through this, I am now also a member of the East of England RMB and regularly attend the Regions and Nations Young Planners Chairs meetings. There are now 9 members on the East of England Young Planners Committee, and we are continuing to grow our network through delivering CPD, socials events and our monthly #PlanPals virtual networking event and hope to host some in person events in 2022.

I was also a member of the committee who hosted the first virtual RTPI Young Planners Conference in 2020. I chaired one of the breakout sessions, exploring how planning committees had adapted to being virtual and the continuing development of digital planning.

What have you gained by volunteering with the RTPI?

I have gained so many connections through volunteering at the RTPI, within my region and beyond, some of which I would now consider to be friends. My knowledge of planning continues to strengthen and broaden through the wide variety of events I am able to be involved in. My confidence has grown so much through volunteering, which has certainly translated into my day to day work and I have been able to develop a number of personal skills such as public speaking, leadership and management.

What is the best thing about volunteering with the RTPI?

Being able to make a contribution to our profession by inspiring the next generation of planners.

For anyone considering volunteering, what advice would you give them?

DO IT! You only ever regret the things you don’t do. There are so many ways to volunteer with the RTPI, there is bound to be one avenue that takes your interest.

Find out more about volunteering in the East of England here.