A moment to reflect

As this marks my final President’s column, I want to take a moment to reflect on my time as an honorary officer of the Institute of Quarrying (IQ). Many may not realize that the journey from Vice-Chair to Chair, then to President, and finally to Past-President spans seven years. During this period, my role has involved significant responsibilities, including serving as Chair of the Quarries Joint National Advisory Committee (QNJAC), Chair of the IQ Council, and Chair of the National Stone Centre.

This is undoubtedly a substantial commitment in terms of both time and responsibility. However, such opportunities are rare in one’s professional life, where you can begin a project or initiative and actively shape its direction and outcome.

For me, out of the many opportunities, two come to mind as personal highlights. The first was during my four-year tenure as Chair of QNJAC, shortly after the IQ assumed this role from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). QNJAC is a tripartite organization, bringing together quarrying and extractive industry representatives from employers, employees, and the HSE. Its subcommittees, composed of industry experts, serve as the organization’s ‘engine room’. We had a genuine opportunity to refocus their efforts into task-and-finish groups and introduce self-audits and guidance aimed at eliminating the ‘Fatal 6’ – the high-consequence hazards responsible for most fatalities and major injuries in the minerals sector. The self-audits and guidance produced by QNJAC’s subgroups have become essential tools for operations managers, supervisors, and everyone in the industry.

The second significant opportunity was my involvement with the National Stone Centre (NSC) from the outset. When my wife Gill and I visited the NSC six years ago, we immediately recognized the site’s tremendous potential. With its six quarries, geological SSSI status, and established school visit programme, it had the makings of a showcase for the minerals sector. I was thrilled when, at the next IQ Board meeting, I received approval to engage with the NSC trustees about this potential. Over the following six years, it has been incredible to see the IQ embrace this vision, take over the NSC, relocate to the site, and successfully obtain planning permission for a state-of-the-art building. This new facility will highlight the mineral sector’s contributions to sustainability, skills, and technology, while celebrating our heritage. The momentum continues with the relocation of the Mineral Products Qualification Council (MPQC) to the site this year and plans for closer collaboration with the University of Derby and other institutions.

I am pleased to report that, following recent funding approval, we are finalizing detailed design and costing, with the new building’s two-year construction phase set to begin in 2025.

These are just two of the many achievements the IQ and its partners have accomplished over the past six years, none of which would have been possible without a fantastic team of colleagues.

I want to extend my sincere thanks to past-presidents Martin Riley and Miles Watkins, incoming President Ben Williams, and all members of the IQ and NSC trustee boards. Special thanks go to James Thorne, Louise White, Sarah Fry, Debbie White, Isaac Azim and the rest of the IQ team, and, most importantly, to my wife Gill for her support, great ideas, and patience throughout my presidency.