Welcome to our June E Bulletin

Andrew Brown, CEWales Director, says there is still time to celebrate after the CEW Awards a few weeks ago, but we also need to look ahead as there is a lot more work to be done and we already have the best guidance to help achieve change.

We are still bathing in the glory of another fantastic awards night at the Celtic Manor on 7th June. Over 500 guests saw a real celebration of best practice hosted by the brilliant Jason Mohammad. We have listed all our winners and we have pulled together a collection – a montage if you will – of all the feedback we have had since the night itself.

It all points to why Welsh construction is at the forefront of best practice in the UK and why CE Wales is still around and fighting the good fight for improving the business of construction. The CEW Awards are the big event of our year, but only one of many projects we aim to deliver. To continue with our great work, we still need your support and your commitment as members. We are hugely grateful for the support you show – especially our sponsors and volunteers.

Two weeks ago, Mark Drakeford, the Welsh Government First Minister decided against building the M4 relief road and instead immediately set about setting up a commission to review the options for relieving congestion and improving transport connections in and out of south Wales. The merits of this decision are still being debated. We are sharing some points of view in this edition of the newsletter and pointing to some background because as an industry we need to not just be prepared to do things differently, we must seek out different perspectives if we are to deliver what our customers need and what the country demands. A must read is Cathy Owens article – first published in the Western Mail.

It's not the role of CE Wales to determine the rights and wrongs of the decisions behind the M4. But what we can do is advise on the best methods of moving forward – making sure whatever is agreed is adhering to the principles of best practice and aligned to the goals and objectives of the WFG Act.
That's why in this issue we are reminding you about the background to what we are all about – Rethinking Construction. I would urge you to not just read the piece by Kevin Thomas about how to achieve change via collaborative working but go further. Download the whole series of blogs so far – you won't be disappointed.