See events list for Berkshire and all of the South Region

Welcome to IoD Berkshire

See events list for Berkshire and all of the South Region      

We on the committee never forget that we are here to support our members in the pursuit of excellence in business.

Berkshire is a very active Branch with many first class and varied events throughout the year bringing together like minded people to share knowledge and experience as well as making lasting relationships which often lead to business opportunities.

One of our aims at Branch level is to help drive business in our area and as such your feedback is a vital ingredient for us so if you would like to share anything with me don’t hesitate to e mail me.

Much of what I do is to spread the IoD word and naturally to encourage ever more people to join our very fine organisation – indeed for many of us our great business club. I really appreciate the help of our many members who also do exactly that.

Ross Wilson
IoD Berkshire, Branch Chairman

IoD Berkshire Committee

Your local branch has a good degree of autonomy and the committee is made up of ten volunteer members, representing different business sectors across Berkshire.  We're usually present at local events and are always available for you to contact should you have any questions.  Please let us know if you think you might like to get involved with any one of the three committee subgroups: Public Relations and Communications, Events and Membership.

As your committee, often with further assistance from members, we organise a diverse calendar of high quality events, in interesting venues across Berkshire and the South.  We encourage members to bring non-member guests to many of these events.  For a summary of upcoming events and to make offline booking quick and simple, download the latest Event Programme & Booking Form.  If you're in a hurry, remember you can just pick up the phone to Juliet Rushent or leave her a quick message on 0118 942 9608 and she'll do the rest.

Please click here for AMM - FINAL NOTICE

Please click HERE for AMM (Annual Members Meeting) Notice

You might be interested in these following events:

Henley Royal Regatta Finals Day: a UNIQUE Opportunity!

Henley Regatta: Boaters and Blazers, Pimms and Champagne, the River and the Rowers!

Join IoD Berkshire & Oxfordshire at the prestigious Leander Club on Finals Day!  Experience the intimate atmosphere of the Club, where the competitors mix with the guests amid the tension of the final races.  This is a unique opportunity to share the ultimate Henley experience with colleagues or family on the final day of the 2012 event 

Click here for further details and to book  

  
Cliveden Breakfast Club Meetings

We are pleased to announce the dates for our 2012 Cliveden Breakfast Club Meetings as:  

Friday 11th May - Entrepreneurship & Branch AMM

Friday 14th September - Marketing

Friday 14th December  - Topic TBC

For further details please on all above events please click here

News Update 

Visit to TRL (Transport Research Laboratory) in Wokingham 

On January 23rd, members from IoD Berkshire and Oxfordshire visited TRL in Wokingham. During the evening we had a guided tour of some of the facilities and an interesting presentation on Driving for work and distraction.   

Please click here to read a summary of the presentation  We hope to organise another visit later in the year, please email Juliet Rushent to register your interest.

Inspiration, Perspiration and Resilience: the journey to 2012

Why do some people push themselves and challenge themselves to achieve what, at times, may seem like the impossible?  The answer according to Frank Dick OBE is that you are probably a ‘Mountain Person’: someone who has the right attitude to succeed because you recognise business is hard and difficult, but you do it anyway; someone who prepares for challenges by climbing the toughest mountains.  This is certainly something that Frank should know about, as from 1979 to 1994 he was the British Athletics Federation’s Director of Coaching, and having personally coached the likes of Daley Thompson and Boris Becker, he has first-hand experience of ‘Mountain People’.  Frank was one of the guest speakers at IoD Berkshire’s Going for Business Gold event held at Berkshire’s own Olympic venue: Dorney Lake. To download the rest of the article click here.

The Tower of London – our events just get better and better!

September saw another exceptional and very different IoD event at the Tower of London when around 50 members and guests were treated to what one IoD member rightly described as a magical evening including the changing of the keys ceremony. Our Beefeater guide, “Jimmy”, captivated his audience when he brought to life the amazing history of the Tower over its 758 years during which the passing of the keys ceremony has taken place every night without fail. Only once in 1941 was it late – and even then by only six minutes after a bomb fell on the Tower during the second world war. 
To read full aritcle please click here.   

Education

The Centre for Entrepreneurship: Offering ‘real world’ business experience to students

Do you have time to be a Business Mentor?

The Centre for Entrepreneurship at the University of Reading’s Henley Business School marks its fifth anniversary this year.  The Centre which offers modules in the practice of entrepreneurship and social enterprise to students of any discipline across the University has proved increasingly popular with University of Reading students.  Its modules and activities provide business related skills and access to outside practitioners and entrepreneurs from a wide range of sectors. 

 The Centre is currently working with fourteen local and regional enterprises on a placement scheme for its students and is planning to work with the National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education on its mentoring system, ‘Make It Happen’. http://www.ncee.org.uk/students_and_graduates/make_it_happen.

 ‘Make It Happen’ offers online self-help resources and mentor support for students planning, building, launching and growing their own business.  In order for University of Reading students to best benefit from this new system, the Centre is currently looking for business mentors to join the scheme.  Mentors can offer as much or as little time as they are able to give.  For further information email entrepreneurship@henley.reading.ac.uk

 For further information on Henley Business School, please visit www.henley.reading.ac.uk

Business Profile

In this series of business interviews, we aim to profile individual members who derive value from their membership of the IoD on a day to day basis. They share their life experiences: good and bad and tell us what keeps them awake at night!

  Martin Dawe           Nick Bettes         Harry Hayden     Stephen Green         John Bycroft

 
Opt-In to receive local branch news by email

We issue a newsletter email every month keeping you up-to-date on the latest issues facing businesses in the region and giving you notice of new and forthcoming events.  You can opt out at any time and we promise not to pass your email address on to anyone else.

We issue a hardcopy newsletter every quarter.  If you don't receive this please check we have your current postal address on file.  Remember, all IoD Berkshire newsletters are put together by your committee and we always welcome feedback and ideas for content from our members.

Policy Voice

Policy Voice is a powerful opportunity to join a VIP community of interested business leaders and feed your views in to the IoD as they develop policies and representations.  In addition to Press and Government, Policy Voice feeds information to your local branch's policy subgroup helping your committee to understand your views.  Plus you are entered for a prize every time you complete the short monthly online survey!

IoD Berkshire would like to make members aware of the unique opportunity to promote their businesses to the Berkshire membership, and potentially a wider IoD audience, through its sponsorship service. There are over 1,600 members registered in Berkshire. This executive-level, influential membership provides an ideal target audience for many companies and the Berkshire IoD Sponsorship scheme provides access to this community.

IoD Berkshire would like to Thank the following sponsors for supporting our branch:

           Cliveden