Volunteering in the English Regions

East Midlands Regional Management Board

• Vice Chair (2022)

East of England Regional Management Board

• Junior Vice Chair (2022)
• Regional Treasurer (2022 & 2023)
• Regional Representative on General Assembly (2022 & 2023)

London Regional Management Board

• Chair (2022)
• Senior Vice Chair (2022)
• Regional Treasurer (2022 & 2023)
• Regional Representative on General Assembly (2022 & 2023)

North East Regional Management Board

• Junior Vice Chair (2022)
• Regional Treasurer (2022 & 2023

South East Regional Management Board

• Senior Vice Chair (2022)
• Honorary Secretary (2022& 2023)

 

East Midlands Regional Activities Committee

• Chartered Member (2022 & 2023) – 15 vacancies
• Young Planner Chair (2022 & 2023)
• Policy Link – Chartered Member (2022 & 2023)
• Student or Licentiate (2022 & 2023) 4 vacancies
• Associate (2022 & 2023) 1 vacancy
• Affiliate (2022 & 2023) 1 vacancy

East of England Regional Activities Committee

• Chartered Member or Legal Associate (2022 & 2023) 4 vacancies
• Student or Licentiate (2022 & 2023) 2 vacancies
• Associate or Affiliate (2022 & 2023) 1 vacancy

London Regional Activities Committee

• Policy Link – Chartered Member (2022 & 2023) 1 vacancy
• Student or Licentiate (2022 & 2023) 1 vacancy

North East Regional Activities Committee

• Associate or Affiliate (2022 & 2023) 1 vacancy

North West Regional Activities Committee

• Chartered Member or Legal Associate (2022 & 2023) 3 vacancies
• Chartered Member (2022) 1 vacancy

South East Regional Activities Committee

• Chartered Member or Legal Associate (2022 & 2023) x 4 vacancies
• Planning Aid England Representative – Chartered Member (2022 & 2023)  - 1 x vacancy
• Student or Licentiate (2022 & 2023) x 2 vacancies

South West Regional Activities Committee 

• Chartered Member (2022 & 2023) 8 vacancies
• Chartered Member (2022) 3 vacancies
• Student or Licentiate (2022) 4 vacancies
• Associate (2022) 1 vacancy
• Affiliate (2022) 1 vacancy

Yorkshire Regional Activities Committee

• Planning Aid England Representative – Chartered Member (2022 & 2023)
• Student (2022 & 2023) 1 vacancy
• Licentiate (2022 & 2023)
• Young Planner Chair (2022 & 2023)

All members of the Regional Management Board and Regional Activities Committee are responsible collectively for ensuring that an effective Regional Business Plan is implemented and monitored, to deliver its objectives in line with the RTPI Corporate Strategy.

Committee members:

• Contribute to discussions and decision making for the Regional Management Board (RMB) and / or Regional Activities Committee (RAC) and support the business planning process for the region.
• Foster and maintain good relationships with committee members and RTPI staff.
• Promote the benefits of RTPI membership and encourage members to become active members, engaging with students, and seeking to recruit new members.
• Are willing to participate in regional affairs, discussions and debate
• Provide verbal/written updates to the committee if allocated a designated task /role

All RTPI volunteers:

• Act in the interests of the RTPI, irrespective of any commitments to other organisations or groups or any personal interests.
• Declare any potential conflicts of interest and seek advice from the Governance Manager if necessary.
• Adhere to relevant RTPI policies, procedures and behaviours (refer to Volunteer Handbook).

Please also see below for role specific responsibilities. 

These are voluntary roles. The duties outlined below reflect our shared hopes and expectations but do not create any contractual obligations.

Composition of the Regional Management Board

The composition (as set out in our RMB Scheme of Delegation) can vary according to region but normally includes:

• Chair
• Vice Chair (or Junior and Senior Vice Chair)
• Regional Secretary
• Regional Treasurer
• Immediate Past Chair
• Regional Representative on General Assembly
• Nations and Regions Representative (if not covered by another role, eg. secretary)

Some regions also choose to include provision for a non-designated role in lieu of secretary/treasurer.

Composition of the Regional Activities Committee

The composition (as set out in our RAC Scheme of Delegation) can vary according to region but normally includes the roles listed above plus:

• Young Planners Representative
• Planning Aid England Representative
• Student / Licentiate members
• Chartered members

Expected Commitments for Members of the RMB and RAC

• Availability to attend committee/board meetings as scheduled within the region (RAC and RMB meetings are normally held 4-6 times a year).
• The time to be actively involved contributing to one or more regional activities.
• Ensure the confidentiality is observed of any documents discussed or presented.
• Immediately notify the key contact of any potential conflict of interest arising in connection with this role.

Term of Office

The term for roles is normally one or two years but this varies across regions. Please check with the Regional Co-ordinator for your region.  

Elections for roles are held annually.  Positions with a two year term are elected every other year.

The chance to be part of an enthusiastic team of professionals and make a real difference to the planning profession and communities in which we live and work. 

The opportunity to:

• Further, develop your existing skills and learn new ones.
• Expand your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) portfolio
• Gain an understanding of the role of governance in a membership organisation
• Help shape the future development of the RTPI for its members as well as the regional CPD programme
• Highlight members’ needs and influence decisions to meet these.

What support can you expect?

• Support from RTPI staff and committee members.
• Training, Briefings and guidance documents on relevant topics
• Expenses covered in line with our policy.

The role

The role of Regional Chair provides leadership to the region, acting as the public representative of the RTPI at meetings and events and, where appropriate, will be the spokesperson for the RTPI and its local members. You will have the primary responsibility for setting, monitoring and achieving annual objectives, including growing membership, in support of the RTPI’s corporate strategy. The chair needs to be able to work effectively with a wide range of individuals and to keep up to date with RTPI policy positions and procedures.

In addition to the general duties and responsibilities of a Regional Management Board/Committee member, the Chair will be responsible for the following:

Leadership

• Providing leadership and direction to the Regional Management Board (RMB) and Regional Activities Committee (RAC) and, in particular, facilitating the setting of objectives in line with the Institute’s corporate strategy.
• Leading the business planning process for the Region, with reference to the RTPI’s corporate strategy, supported by the Vice Chair and in liaison with the Regional Treasurer, Regional Secretary, Regional Co-ordinator, Regional Committees and Head of RTPI English Regions.
• Developing the Vice Chair (Junior and/or Senior) to fully equip them with the skills, experience and confidence to ensure their smooth succession to the role of Chair.
• Seeking advice and support where necessary from the Immediate Past Chair. 

Governance

• Working with the Regional Co-ordinator and Regional Secretary to agree agenda items for RMB/RAC committee meetings in advance.
• Chairing committee meetings ensuring that:

• • the discussion is focused and professional and (as far as possible) that all members have an opportunity to contribute.
  • clear decisions are made and responsibility for taking forward action points is properly allocated.

• Monitoring the implementation of agreements and action points from committee meetings.
• Chairing the Annual General Meeting and any other Region General/Special Meetings.
• Notifying members of any documents and discussions that are confidential.
• Immediately notifying the key contact of any potential conflict of interest arising in connection with this role.

Building Relationships

• Representing the RTPI at conferences and events.
• Undertaking promotional activities e.g. visiting schemes for the finalists of the planning excellence awards.
• Acting, where appropriate, as the media spokesperson with support from the Communications team, and ensuring any public statements made by the region conform to agreed RTPI policy, seeking advice where there is uncertainty.
• Actively seeking to build and deepen existing and new relationships with built environment organisations, politicians, and other relevant groups.

Visit of the RTPI President

• Coordinating the annual visit of the President ensuring a well-organised, successful and varied programme of activity, involving a good cross section of members, takes place.
• Accompanying the President as appropriate.

Region Specific Activities

Regions may also identify additional responsibilities for Chairs to undertake in order to help deliver business plans.

e.g. Taking an active role in devising the Region CPD conferences/workshops and chairing as many of these as possible.

Term of Office

Whilst the expected term of office is 1 or 2 years, the expected commitment to the role varies by Region.  The Chair is often expected to serve first as Junior Chair, then Senior Chair before progressing to Chair.  Following this term, there is an expectation to serve as Immediate Past Chair or such role as outlined in Regional Rules.

Eligibility

Applicants for this position must be a Chartered member of the RTPI.

About you

In addition to the attributes of a RMB/RAC member, this role will suit members with the following:

• Previously served as Vice Chair.
• The ability to see the bigger picture, as well as taking into account current priorities.
• A strategic and collegiate approach to working with committee members.

The role

As Vice Chair, you will support the Chair as required in providing leadership to the region, acting as the public representative of the RTPI at meetings and events and, where appropriate. You will assist the Chair in setting, monitoring and achieving annual objectives, in support of the RTPI’s corporate strategy. The Vice Chair needs to be able to work effectively with a wide range of individuals and to keep up to date with RTPI policy positions and procedures.

In addition to the general duties and responsibilities of a Regional Management Board/Committee member, the Vice-Chair will be responsible for the following:

Leadership

• Assisting the chair in providing leadership and direction to the Regional Management Board and Regional Activities committee and, in particular, facilitate the setting of objectives in line with the Institute’s corporate strategy.
• Actively engaging in the business planning process for the region, with reference to the RTPI’s corporate strategy and in liaison with the Regional Treasurer, Regional Secretary, Regional Co-ordinator, Regional Committees and Head of RTPI English Regions, ahead of your year as Chair.

Governance

• Working with the Regional Co-ordinator and Regional Secretary to agree agenda items for committee meetings in advance, if requested by the Chair.
• Chairing committee meetings as delegated if appropriate, ensuring that:

• • the discussion is focused and professional and (as far as possible) that all members have an opportunity to contribute.
  • clear decisions are made and responsibility for taking forward action points is properly allocated

• Monitoring the implementation of agreements and action points from committee meetings.
• Chairing the Annual General Meeting and any other Region General Meetings in the absence of the Chair.

Region Specific Activities

Regions may also identify additional responsibilities for Vice Chairs to undertake in order to help deliver business plans. e.g. Taking an active role in devising the Region CPD conferences/workshops and chairing as many of these as possible.

Building relationships

• Represent the RTPI at conferences and events when requested by the Chair
• Undertake promotional activities as required by the Chair e.g. visiting schemes for the finalists of the planning excellence awards.
• Act, where appropriate, as the media spokesperson with support from the Communications team, and ensure any public statements made by the region conform to agreed RTPI policy, seeking advice where there is uncertainty.
• Actively seek to build and deepen existing and new relationships with built environment organisations, politicians, and other relevant groups

Term in Office

Whilst the expected term of office is 1 or 2 years, the expected commitment to the role varies by Region. You are normally expected to progress from Junior to Senior Vice Chair and then step up as Chair.

Eligibility

Vice Chairs need to have been elected as a chartered member of the institute before they can acceed to Regional Chair.

About you

In addition to the attributes of a RMB/RAC member, this role will suit members with the following:

• Experience of participating on a RTPI committee or similar committee.
• The ability to see the bigger picture, as well as taking into account current priorities.

 

The Role

As a Regional Representative on the General Assembly you will have the opportunity to debate matters of importance to the Institute, to hear presentations from a range of speakers and organisations and to network with other planning professionals. The General Assembly is the debating chamber of the Institute, meeting three times a year, and is elected by RTPI members.

What's involved?

The General Assembly is responsible for making decisions in the following areas. This list is indicative and other items may arise.

Leadership

• Entitled to vote in the elections for the Board of Trustees, which are held each autumn.
• Permitted to apply for membership of the RTPI’s standing committees.
• Invited to respond to the consultations.

Governance

• Consulted by the Board of Trustees during the year on issues such as the proposed subscription rates for the following year.
• Overview of the Board of Trustees work through GA meetings.

Building relationships

• Network with other planning professionals and develop planning knowledge and skills.

 

What's expected of you?

Expected Time Commitments & Term of Office:

• This role is for a two-year term.
• Regional Representatives are expected to prepare for and contribute to the discussions at General Assembly meetings. As the General Assembly meets three times year (in January, June and October), the commitment will be concentrated around the time of these meetings. You should allow about half a day for preparation for each meeting and a day to attend the meeting itself. Papers for each meeting are sent out about 10 days in advance.
• In addition, Regional Representatives are expected to provide RMB and RAC members with regular updates (verbal and written) on General Assembly business.
• Meetings are held within normal working hours and normally start at 10:45 am. January and October General Assembly meetings are held in London. June General Assembly meeting is held outside London. Meetings of the General Assembly are chaired by the President.
• Other duties (responding to consultations and participating in elections) will take about a day in total.

Being a General Assembly member is a voluntary role. All RTPI volunteers:

• Act in the interests of the RTPI, irrespective of any commitments to other organisations or groups or any personal interests.
• Declare any potential conflicts of interest and seek advice from the Governance Team, if necessary.
• Adhere to relevant RTPI policies, procedures and behaviours.

In 2021, General Assembly is due to meet on:

• 20^th January 2021, 9^th June 2021, 13^th October 2021

In addition to the above, if elected you will be invited to the General Assembly induction session which is planned to be held on 10^th December 2020.

What’s in it for you?

The chance to be part of an enthusiastic body of professionals and make a real difference to the planning profession and communities in which we live and work. 

The opportunity to:

• Help shape the future development of the RTPI.
• Opportunity to participate in the delivery of the objectives set in RTPI’s new corporate strategy 2020-30.
• Access professional networking.
• Expand your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) portfolio.
• Gain an understanding of the role of governance in a membership organisation.
• Learn about areas of planning outside of your expertise.

About you

This role will suit members with:

• A strong commitment to planning and the RTPI’s strategic objectives and vision.
• Active involvement within the Institute.
• Availability to attend meetings as scheduled.

What support can you expect?

• Support from RTPI staff.
• Briefings or guidance documents on relevant topics.
• Expenses covered in line with our policy.
• Induction meeting for incoming GA members

This is a voluntary role. The duties outlined above reflect our shared hopes and expectations, but do not create any contractual obligations.

The role

As Nations and Regions Representative, it is your role to represent your Region on the RTPI’s Nations and Regions Panel. The Panel provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and experience across the Nations and Regions and a platform for representatives to discuss activities and roles in helping to deliver the RTPI objectives.

Taking its formal responsibility from the Board of Trustees, the Panel is also the formal mechanism for dialogue and discussion between Regions and the wider organisation.

This role can be a stand-alone role, or form part of the duties of the Regional Secretary.

What’s expected of you and Term of Office

As Nations and Regions Representative, it is your role to report on regional activity and pro-actively contribute to discussions of the Panel.  This involves seeking input and views from your regional committee in advance of Panel meetings and providing the Committee with an update following Panel meeting.  

Panel meetings take place 3 times a year.  The term of office is normally 1 or 2 years and it is expected that the representative attends each meeting regularly (this may be remotely).

About you

This role will suit members who have:

• A wide range of experience and understanding of how regional activities are delivered.
• The ability to see the bigger picture, as well as taking into account current priorities.
• Excellent communication skills.

The role

As Regional Secretary, you will support the Chair in the smooth running of the Regional Management (RMB) Board and the Regional Activities Committee (RAC) and work closely with the Regional Coordinator to facilitate the activities of the region.

In addition to the general duties and responsibilities of a Regional Management Board/Committee member, the Regional Secretary will be responsible for the following:

Committee management

Prepare for and administer the RMB and RAC meetings. This includes:  

• Arranging the dates of the meetings in conjunction with the Chair/Regional Coordinator and advising members of the RMB and RAC.
• Seeking agenda items and agreeing these with the Chair,
• Preparation of papers including minutes or meeting notes for the Regional Coordinator to circulate according to the Institute’s adopted service standards
• Report to the relevant committee on important matters and when decisions are required (such as on governance issues).
• Becoming familiar with RTPI governance provisions, procedures, and related advice.
• Applying the provisions outlined in RMB and RAC Schemes of Delegation.

 Preparation for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and elections

• Arranging the date and venue of the annual meeting in conjunction with the Chair/Regional Coordinator. (note formal AGMs are not legally required, but annual meetings may be held in their place)
• Overseeing the annual committee elections process and encouraging members to put forward nominations
• Working with regional co-ordinator on the compilation of the Regional Annual Review

Other

• Liaising with the Regional Coordinator and Head of English Regions to effectively implement decisions taken by RMB and RAC
• Coordinating the production of the Business Plan submission
• Informing members of matters of interest relating to the operation of the region on a regular basis
• Representing the RMB on the Nations and Regions Panel if delegated as such by RMB

About you

In addition to the attributes outlined above of a RMB/RAC member, this role will suit members with the following:

• Good administrative and organisational skills.
• The ability to prioritise and excellent attention to detail.
• Experience of participating on an RTPI committee or similar committee.
• The ability to understand and interpret governance documents (such as Schemes of Delegation).

The role

As Regional Treasurer, you will provide the Regional Management Board (RMB) with support on financial considerations to ensure the finances of the region are effectively managed. This role is fundamental in helping RTPI to deliver strong financial and business management in a member focused organisation. 

In addition to the general duties and responsibilities of a Regional Management Board/Committee member, the Regional Treasurer will be responsible for the following:

Business Planning

• Contributing to the annual budget and business plan for the region, supported by the Regional Co-ordinator, Chair, Secretary and sub-committees in line with guidelines and timetable.

• Overseeing the income and expenditure for the Region.

• Ensuring planned expenditure is in line with the approved budget and RTPI’s financial protocols
• Working with the Finance Department and the Head of the English Regions to ensure proper investment of the RTPI funds allocated to the Region.

Reporting

• Monitoring progress against business plan and budget and reporting back to each RMB meeting
• Providing RMB with a progress report at mid-year

Regional Representation

• Attending a Treasurer’s business planning and budgeting briefing (usually part of the Nations and Regions Panel in June)

Term of Office

The term of office is normally 1 or 2 years but the expected commitment to the role varies by Region.

About you

In addition to the attributes of a RMB/RAC member, this role will suit members with:

• Experience of financial control and budgeting
• The ability to prioritise and excellent attention to detail.
• The ability to think methodically.

The role

As outlined in the RMB Schemed of Delegation, the RMB may choose to appoint a member to a non-designated role on the RMB.  

What’s expected of you and Term of Office

This role doesn't carry any specific duty, but it is expected that you will use your knowledge and experience to actively contribute to RMB proceedings, support fellow committee members and regularly attend RMB and RAC meetings .

About you

This role will suit members who have:

• A wide range of experience and understanding of how regional activities are delivered.
• The ability to see the bigger picture, as well as taking into account current priorities.
• Excellent communication skills.

The role

As a Regional Activities Committee Member, you will help deliver RTPI activities contributing to the Institute’s Corporate Strategy, as set out in the approved Regional Business Plan and Budget. You have the opportunity to get involved in areas of particular interest to you or areas where you have expertise. There are many different activities that volunteers are encouraged to get involved with such as:

• Joining a sub-committee or task group in your region: These groups have a specific objective and are often project based and for a limited time and may deliver one of the regular or ad-hoc activities listed below.
  • CPD and Events
  • Young Planners
  • Planning Aid England
• Regular / ad-hoc activities: These offer volunteers the scope to choose activities of specific interest and can be tailored to fit around existing commitments.
  • Future Planners Ambassador
  • Communications
  • Awards
  • Policy and Research

To find out more about what types of activities you can get involved with, please speak to your Regional Coordinator.

There may be other ways in which you can actively contribute as an RAC member, so if there is something you are interested in please get in touch with your key contact.

The role

As a Young Planners Representative, you will contribute to providing a professional development and support network for potential planners entering the profession and those in the early stages of their planning career. 

In addition to the general duties and responsibilities of a Regional Management Board/Committee member, the role of Young Planners Representative will involve:

• Regular attendance at Young Planners group events and any joint events with other built environment professionals e.g. RICS, RIBA and ICE.
• Willingness to participate in regional affairs, discussions and debate.
• Provide verbal/written updates to the Young Planners Group/RAC if allocated a designated task/role (see below).

As a Young Planner, you can get involved in areas which are of particular interest or where you feel you have expertise in. Typically, these may include:

• Chairing a Young Planners Group to provide overall direction in line with regional business plans and represent the group on the Regional Activities Committee and National Young Planners Chair group.
• Vice Chair: supporting the Chair in activities and stand in where necessary.
• Administrator/Secretary: organising meetings and helping to prepare minutes.
• Communications and Public Relations: Supporting the Regional Coordinator/ to promote the group to other members, local planning schools and other built environment professional groups in the local area by means of:
  • writing articles/blogs for newsletters/website
  • maintaining and regularly updating social media forums, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and twitter
• Organising an event, such as CPD, social or professional networking opportunity.
• Helping out at an event, displaying Regional Banners, manning registrations, taking photos
• Conducting a risk assessment for an event being organised by the Young Planners Group.
• Securing sponsorship for Young Planner events with the support of the Regional Coordinator.
• Working with the RTPI Regional Coordinator and Chair to set up a university planning society.
• Regional Coordinator liaison - ensuring key information about events and activities is shared well in advance to allow Regional Coordinators to market effectively.
• Encouraging non-RTPI members to join us, by championing the benefits of membership.
• Getting involved with Careers/Education outreach.

The role

The role of Regional Policy Link involves asking for and coordinating regional views from RTPI members on government consultations. 

The link provides the England Policy Panel with valuable input in formulating the view of the RTPI.

What’s expected of you 

To provide a summary of the views from the region following a request from the RTPI policy team.  This may include gathering information from fellow regional RTPI members in respect of upcoming consultations - eg. in response to the Planning White Paper in England.  The Regional Policy Link will be particularly important in helping to collect and coordinate the regional views as part of RTPI's response.  

About you

This role will suit members who have:

• Experience of working in planning policy, particularly at a local level.
• A good knowledge of RTPI's policy, practice and research output.
• The ability to see the bigger picture, as well as taking into account current priorities.
• Excellent communication skills.

The Role

As Planning Aid England Representative you will be the principle line of communication between PAE and your Region.  As such, you will be expected to regularly attend PAE Regional Representative video calls involving PAE staff and all PAE Regional Representatives, and to feedback on PAE’s work to your Regional Management Board / Regional Activities Committee.  You will also be expected to take an active interest in identifying possible regional opportunities for PAE volunteers to support and to advise PAE staff and your RMB/RAC accordingly.  This role provides a great opportunity to boost the impact of Planning Aid England in your Region.