CEO Report

INTRODUCTION

CEO Report

WINTER 2022

As 2021 draws to a close, we can reflect on another year full of unexpected challenges and adaptations to a life including COVID-19. It’s hard to believe that it’s almost 2 years since the virus entered the UK or that last December we were facing a Christmas away from loved ones, about to embark on another national lockdown and further 6 months of restrictions. I’m pleased that despite the recent arrival of the Omicron variant, it looks as if we ashould be able to enjoy a slightly more typical festive period this year.

As was the case in 2020, Surrey Law Society has strived to find new and innovative ways of delivering its programme of content for members, and I’m delighted that we have continued to offer a range of online training in the form of webinars, courses, meetings and forums. These have included a wide range of sessions for conveyancers, private client practitioners, family lawyers, as well as sessions on improving people and communication skills run in collaboration with Surrey Junior Lawyers Division and available to members of both organisations in addition to law students across Surrey. All our webinars are available for members to revisit via the Surrey Law Society Vimeo Channel and I would highly recommend taking a look at some of the fantastic sessions that we hosted across the year.

In addition to our online content, I am proud that the Society managed to reinstate its in-person courses and events earlier than many other organisations. We kicked this off with the return of our Past President’s Championship Cup at Daytona, which saw over 50 members and patrons come together on 24th June to take part in some networking of the racier kind! Following this success, we embarked on plans for our 2021 SLS Legal Awards, which took place on 16th September at the Mandolay in Guildford. It is fair to say that we were a little nervous that the appetite for such a large event may have dwindled following the impact of COVID-19, so it was wonderful to see so many members and patrons come together for our biggest and best Awards ever. We had more nominations, more winners and more attendees than ever before and the event was made even more special by an excellent after-dinner interview with Rob Rinder MBE. Most recently, we have held a hybrid AGM offering attendees the opportunity to attend online or in-person, followed by the return of our Legal Brain of Surrey Quiz, revamped and held in a brand new venue, The Weyside in Guildford, more on that later.

In the Autumn, the Society also reintroduced some of its in-person courses hosting sessions with John Bunker, Richard Snape, Professor Lesley King, Holly Chantler and David Keighley. These were run alongside our online programme and offered members to opportunity to access their training in a more traditional way. The feedback we received from members who attended was unanimously positive, all of whom valued the opportunity to network with peers and interact with the speaker in a way that isn’t always easy via a screen. Moving forward, the Society recognises that for many the accessibility and ease of attending virtual sessions is a priority but will also continue to offer in-person sessions for those members who place a value on getting away from the desk and seeing people face-to-face. To that avail, we are currently working on an extensive hybrid programme of training for next year which I very much hope will meet all our members’ needs. The Society is also currently working on plans for a range of social events in 2022, which will include all our annual favourites, but also feature some new additions to the programme including some collaborative events between Surrey and Kent Law Society and an Annual John Perry Memorial Dinner, which we are very excited about.

The Society has recently reinvigorated some of its existing sub-committees, as well as introducing some important new ones, such as the President’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion committee, which will promote the development of strategies and best practices with regards to diversity and inclusion across the Society and its members. All the sub-committees have been formed to ensure that our membership is best represented in a range of areas and we hope that you will see many benefits from their creation, such as a member-led programme of content, engagement in more consultations and lobbying on issues of importance to the profession.

With the above in mind, one of the key focus points for the Society over the coming months is raising awareness of and encouraging responses to the SRA’s consultation on the ‘Post six year run-off cover and the Solicitors Indemnity Fund’. This important issue could affect all members, from those just embarking on their career to those who have retired and/or sold their practice, and we would therefore encourage all members to review the detail of the consultation at www.sra.org.uk/sra/consultations, and feedback their comments for a Society response as well as submitting their own individual response too.

As always, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Surrey Law Society’s patrons, whose support throughout the year has enabled us to continue with all our activities for the benefit of the membership. They are HFS Milbourne, Access Legal, Landmark Information, Moneypenny, Chadwick Nott, Conscious Solutions, LawSure Insurance, Pro Drive, and Finders International. We look forward to collaborating on much more in 2022.

And lastly, just a note about the President’s chosen charity for 2022, The Trussell Trust and specifically foodbanks in Surrey. We were delighted to receive £100 in donations at our recent quiz and would like to invite members to make their own donations via the Trussell Trust website, www.trusselltrust.org. You can select a specific food bank by using the ‘Find a Food Bank’ facility, ensuring any donation goes to your centre of choice. Christmas can be a challenging time for many people, particularly given the circumstances of the last 2 years and I know that the Trussell Trust would welcome any additional support.

I wish you all a wonderful festive period and good health and happiness into the new year. ■

Very best wishes,

Helen Opie

Helen Opie

Chief Executive & Magazine Editor