Each member of the North East Timber Trade Association (NETTA) executive committee belongs to one of the three sub-committees: Education & Community Liaison; Marketing & PR; or Social. This means that action takes place between meetings, the workload is shared and there is a focus on key issues.
All of this effort is contributed voluntarily. Why? Quite simply, to promote the use of timber and wood products.
Annual dinners and pointless meetings? Is that your view of the TTF and local associations? You couldn’t be further from the truth. Whenever the trade is under threat, whether from NGOs or competing industries, who stands tall and proud and protects it? Who is always at the end of the phone or a website “contact us” page to answer all your queries? And yes, who takes the time and effort to arrange those dinners that you attend?
We think you’re beginning to get the message – we don’t wait for things to happen, we make things happen.
With limited finances, NETTA has produced a Members’ Directory, taken advertorials in end user publications and donated timber products to hospices and a special needs school. We also worked with a college to promote use of timber in the Young Enterprise initiative and sponsor a wood-based design competition at Sheffield University School of Architecture.
We continually update our website (www.netta.org) and open meetings have been held covering treatment, legislation, timber engineering, port visits, contracts and certification issues. More of these are planned and we hope to attract large numbers from within the trade and external decision-makers, including architects, local government and the construction and allied trades. All timber traders in the area should attend.
And, of course, in Hull and Newcastle, we hold two of the best attended association dinners.
There are seven local associations, giving nationwide coverage, so if you would like to join yours, contact Jean Rennie at the TTF. Working together, towards a simple, shared vision, we can make a difference.
