Two members of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) have been presented with Outstanding Service Awards for their work in championing and leading the design and development of the Chartered Town Planner Degree Apprenticeship.
Hannah Blunstone MRTPI, Director of Planning at CBRE UK, and Philip Ridley MRTPI, Head of Planning and Coastal Management at East Suffolk Council, were presented with their awards yesterday by RTPI President Sue Manns FRTPI during a virtual meeting of the Institute’s Education and Lifelong Learning Committee.
Image (clockwise from top left): Education and Lifelong Learning Committee chair Stefano Smith, Philip Ridley, RTPI President Sue Manns, Hannah Blunstone
In particular, Sue congratulated Philip and Hannah on their innovative leadership of the employer-led Trailblazer group which was set up to lead the process and secure government backing for the apprenticeship.
Sue Manns said: “Apprenticeships can play an important role for planning to attract diverse local talent and benefit our fantastic profession as we support a green recovery. I am very pleased to present Hannah and Philip with this award on behalf of the RTPI Board of Trustees and the profession as a whole. Thank you both for your outstanding service in developing a new generation of future planners.”
Thanks to the hard work of Hannah and Philip and other members of the Trailblazer group, 190 young planners have now taken up degree apprenticeships at RTPI-accredited planning schools around the country.
Hannah and Philip are the first RTPI members in 2020 to receive Outstanding Service Awards, presented to members who have exhibited sustained, outstanding and active service to the Institute.
