Member Engagement
Late April and the month of May saw a number of regional Member events, including regional meetings, a port tour and a charity golf tournament A round-up of regional activity
The meeting also heard from: • Kelly Hobson, vice chair of the BIFA Sustainable Logistics Policy Group – the business case justification for freight
B IFA holds regular regional member meetings throughout the UK facilitated by the BIFA Regional Representative and consisting of an elected chair and vice-chair. All BIFA Member companies are encouraged to attend and participate in these two-way meetings. The purpose of BIFA’s regional meetings is to discuss matters relevant to Members in that particular region, along with providing updates on national matters. The meetings also provide an opportunity to share experiences and provide feedback to BIFA. The chair of a regional group also becomes a BIFA Council member. To give a flavour of the subjects discussed, BIFA’s regional consultant for the south, Paul Cunningham, reports on the Solent regional meeting held on 29 April. Items on the agenda were: • DP World Southampton Modal Shift Programme (MSP) is continuing in 2025 and has seen an increase in rail utilisation from 21% (pre-MSP) to 30% in 2024.
forwarders investing in a credible and compliant sustainability strategy.
The port will utilise 100% green energy for terminal use in 2025 and will be the first terminal in the UK to achieve operationally net zero emissions. • The expected high tariffs and vessel port charges imposed by the US were discussed. Capacity disruption, delays and increased transactional entries were predicted as an outcome of these US measures. • The launch of the BIFA Advisory Body for Heathrow Cargo Developments – Members are invited to contact Andy Cooke (a.cooke@bifa.org) for more information. • Gatwick Airport – proposals by Gatwick Airport addressing concerns about the Northern Runway scheme noise pollution and passenger transport access were discussed. A final government decision is scheduled for 27 October 2025. Gatwick has stated that the Northern Runway project would increase cargo capacity from 150,000 tonnes in 2018/19 to around 305,000 tonnes by 2032.
• Charlie Frost, Albacore Systems – Why freight forwarders should care about cyber security. • South Hampshire College Group gave an update on the successful collaboration with BIFA. Heavily subsidised Tailored Learning courses are currently available that can include logistics and freight forwarding modules. Members are encouraged to contact the college via steve.harris@shcg.ac.uk. • Border Force FEDAT (Freight Engagement and Data Lead) ran a Q&A feedback session on the recently introduced Safety and Security procedures. Regional member meetings were also held in Glasgow, Aberdeen and the Midlands. To book your place on a forthcoming meeting visit https://bifa.org/events/ Port tour DP World continues to offer Insight Days at both London Gateway and Southampton Ports. In early May, a group of around 30 individuals from BIFA member companies attended the tour at Southampton port, experiencing an exclusive behind-the-scenes visit during which they were able to discuss port operations and learn about future developments. Golf tournament On 22 May, Members from across the south joined BIFA member services director Carl Hobbis at Chelmsford Golf Club for the first BIFA charity golf tournament of 2025, supporting Transaid. A full report of the event will follow in the July issue of BIFAlink . Members can sign up now for the next tournament at Formby Hall Golf Resort, Liverpool, on 9 September.
“ The purpose of BIFA’s regional meetings is to discuss matters relevant to Members in that particular region, along with providing updates on
Thinking ahead to Christmas
This year, BIFA is teaming up with the Felixstowe Port Users Association (FPUA) in promoting the Christmas Charity Ball which will take place on Friday 5 December at The Hangar, Milsoms, Ipswich. Book a table to celebrate while raising money for two fantastic local charities: Brave Futures – supporting children and young people who have experienced sexual abuse (https://bravefutures.org/); and EACH, the East Anglian Children’s Hospice (https://www.each.org.uk/). Book your tickets now at https://bifa.org/event/bifa-and- fpua-charity-christmas-ball/ to secure your table.
national matters.
June 2025 | 9
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