b'Member News July 2023 23VolunteersAll boxes ticked A family event on a global scaleReaching out to R&S volunteers around the Thanks to the successful executionworld was massively important to Lou. SheFriendly, informative, of a carefully conceived andsaid: Back in March 2020, stringent Covid-19professional, comprehensive programme, thepandemic restrictions were introduced bywell-organisedconference succeeded in achievinggovernments globally. We were loath to call its three main objectives, whichour activities to a halt, but there was an were to: urgent need to keep our volunteers, members Update attendees on and staff safe.R&S activities Lou was worried. Registration and FellowshipA very goodI ntroduce new initiatives Assessors could no longer gather for theirmix of overview,Highlight the excellent usual day-long assessment panel at IETencouragement work undertaken by the London: Savoy Place. Professional Reviewand thanks for R&S volunteer community. Interviewers couldnt interview applicants faceour effortsto face. And Professional Registration Advisors The packed agenda included thecouldnt attend networking events or visit IET strategy and the results ofcompanies for one-to-ones with would-be the Equality, Diversity & Inclusioncandidates.Survey. There were also updates on Professional Development,All changeProfessional Registration Operations, Fellowship andLou and the wider R&S team had to come Membership & Professionalup with new ways of working. They had Development activities.to change the R&S processes overnight. Lou Parfrey, R&S Support UnitEverything could so easily have fallen Manager, was once again theapart, she said. But our wonderful driving force behind this annualvolunteers simply got on with it. They conference. She said: The wholeadapted, they did what they had to do event ran like clockwork. Thereand they kept doing it. was a lot of audience participationand I dont just mean from the volunteers in the Kelvin Theatre.The volunteers from around the world who support our Professional My colleague Rachel Cutler wasRegistration and Fellowship there to represent the online volunteer audience and theirprocesses absolutely stepped up views. As soon as a question orto the mark. Looking back, their comment was submitted on theLou Parfrey, R&S Support Unit Manager willingness and flexibility were online chat, she would voice itnothing short of astonishing.on their behalf. To make it more engaging for online volunteers, we made sure that the camera movedLou always enjoys the buzz of the around the room, rather thanGetting back to meeting the R&S teamannual conference. But this year, focusing solely on the speaker and colleague volunteers in person when she was on stage looking out or their slides.at the audience, it somehow felt The feedback was very positive,very different. Thats not altogether both from the volunteers at Savoysurprising, she said. After all, Place and from those taking partduring the last three years Ive been virtually. We will definitely use theReally enjoyable. Needed! Zooming into our volunteers homes hybrid format for the conferenceand theyve been Zooming into mine. from now on. Our volunteers are now part of my extended family.Join our fantastic volunteer communityif youre professionally registered or FIET and would like to get involvedin Professional or Fellowship Registration activities, wed love to welcome you on boardthe more, the merrier!To get the ball rolling, drop an email to Lou lparfrey@theiet.org'