Steve Parker’s Column
A look back at our highlights W ould you believe it is December already. Where has the year gone? As we come to end of another year, I reflect on some highlights for BIFA and some of the changes we have made.
BIFAlink is the official magazine of the British International Freight Association Redfern House, Browells Lane, Feltham TW13 7EP Tel: 020 8844 2266 (A company limited by guarantee. Registered in England: 00391973. VAT Registration: 216476363) Director General Steve Parker s.parker@bifa.org Member Policy, Compliance & External Affairs Director Pawel Jarza p.jarza@bifa.org Member Support Director Spencer Stevenson s.stevenson@bifa.org Member Services Director Carl Hobbis c.hobbis@bifa.org Member Engagement Director Denise Hill d.hill@bifa.org Senior Policy Advisor – Ocean & Legal matters Robert Windsor r.windsor@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor – Customs Igor Popovics i.popovics@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor – Sustainable Logistics Jamie McKean j.mckean@bifa.org Communications Manager Natalie Pitts n.pitts@bifa.org Editorial Co-ordinator Sharon Hammond s.hammond@bifa.org Membership Supervisor Sarah Milton s.milton@bifa.org Web site: www.bifa.org E-mail: bifa@bifa.org Published by Park Lane Publishing peter@parklanepublishingltd.com Contributors Steve Parker, Robert Windsor, Spencer Stevenson, Carl Hobbis, Sharon Hammond, Igor Popovics, Denise Hill, Pawel Jarza, Natalie Pitts Note to media: If you wish to use items in this magazine that are older than one month, please contact the editorial co- ordinator to ensure that the item in question still reflects the current circumstances. Please be advised that BIFA DOES NOT OFFER LEGAL ADVICE. BIFA is not a law firm and the authors of this publication are not legally qualified and do not have any legal training. The guidance and assistance set out herein are based on BIFA’s own experience with the issues concerned and should not be in any circumstances regarded or relied upon as legal advice. It is strongly recommended that anyone considering further action based on the information contained in this publication should seek the advice of a qualified professional.
Training At the beginning of the year, we launched BIFA Bitesize and moved a considerable number of training courses onto the new eLearning platform. Over the course of the year nearly 8,000 courses have been completed. In addition, the delivery of face-to-face training continued and was busier than last year.
BIFA TV We upgraded BIFAlinkTV – rebranding as BIFA TV – built a studio and improved the output. And the viewing figures and subscribers continue to increase, suggesting that we are providing content of interest in a highly accessible format. This is our primary form of communication with Members and I would urge you to ensure you are subscribed to our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@BIFA_TV) and getting your daily dose of industry information. OFSTED Our work with the South Hampshire College Group means we support some of their logistics courses with our training. This was mentioned in the college’s OFSTED report and led to us being nominated and declared as a finalist at the recent Solent Maritime Awards. Ethiopia Whilst this was a bit left field, thanks to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, we have been supporting the trade association in Ethiopia and some of its key members. This meant I was able to visit Addis Ababa earlier in the year and we hosted a delegation from Ethiopia just a few weeks ago. As reported on pages 12-13 of this issue, a highlight of their visit was attending the Transaid showcase where we met Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal (Princess Anne) and a visit to the Ethiopian embassy to meet the Ethiopian Ambassador to the UK, Biruk Mekonnen. All this was part of a programme to increase trade between the UK and Ethiopia. Political engagement We really ramped this up in 2025, engaging SEC Newgate to help us. This led to us hosting a fringe event at the Labour Party conference where I was able to talk about our industry and UK border in particular. What 2026 brings I will share our vision for 2026 in my January column. Suffice to say we have a number of developments we want to make to help promote our industry and support growth. Lastly, let me say that when it finally arrives, I wish all of you a Great Christmas and a prosperous new year.
Director General
December 2025 | 3
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