Dear members worldwide,
I wanted to write to you at this extremely difficult time to assure you that you are very much in our thoughts.
Hopefully you and your family and friends are well despite the adverse and surreal circumstances that have enveloped us so quickly.
In The People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong SAR, you are, hopefully, through the worst of the impact of COVID-19 and can see “light at the end of the tunnel”.
However, in the UK, Ireland, India and US for example the onslaught has not yet peaked. Although the Bastwick Street office is now closed and the dedicated staff are working from home, the essential work of the Institution goes on and will continue to so do under the leadership our CEO Martin Powell and his Executive team to whom we all owe a huge debt of gratitude.
Governance of the Institution at Board level will also continue behind the scenes. It is vitally important during this period of lockdown that we do not lose our focus and momentum on critical issues, such as sustainability and climate change, and it is intended that the various committees, panels and task groups will meet online to conduct their business insofar as is possible.
I was so looking forward to meeting many of you during the scheduled UK and International visits but these of necessity have been cancelled at least up to the end of April and it is likely this situation will extend to the end of June, if not longer.
Some regions may be planning virtual events on the same dates as originally scheduled in the Institution’s 2020 calendar. If so, I would be delighted to participate online in as many of these as possible and in whatever way the region deems appropriate.
Do please feel free to contact either
Martin Powell or me (
[email protected]) on any Institution-related issues that concerns you.
We all look forward to happier, healthier and better times although it is highly unlikely the world will ever be the same again. Economically the road to recovery is probably going to be slow and painful.
Paradoxically, however, COVID-19 has sensationally, and perhaps irreversibly, altered the ways in which we live, work, communicate and travel. Every cloud has that silver lining and hopefully it may prove to be for the better.
I close by again wishing you and yours good health and survival in the stormy days that yet lie ahead.
Don McQuillan
2020 President