news from the BRE Group
published: 11/8/2008
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BRE Trust increases research funding
BRE Trust Annual General Meeting 2008
Sir Neville Simms, Chairman of the BRE Trust
More funding for research and education
At the BRE Trust AGM today, Sir Neville Simms recalled telling last year’s Meeting that the financial performance of the BRE Group, which provides the resources for the Trust’s charitable activities, had been one of the best so far. “I am pleased to report that the performance of the Group – comprising BRE, BRE Global and FBE Management – has been even better this year,” he went on to say.
The net profit of the Group in 2007/08 was £2.7million on a turnover of £46 million, nearly £1 million above the profit achieved last year. Funding by the Trust on its research programmes increased from £893k last year to £1.37million. This supported 54 projects, of which 17 were new projects. Funding for 21 PhD studentships and for one Engineering Doctorate award was also made available during the year – 11 of these were new positions.
“The BRE Group’s robust financial performance, for which the directors and staff of the Group companies are to be congratulated,” said Sir Neville, “has led to the current reserves of the Trust standing at a little over £8 million, which the Trustees regard as sufficient for the charity to fund projects up to three years into the future.” BRE Trust funding for research and education will increase over the next three years to £1.5 million in 2008/09, £1.6 million in 2009/10 and £1.7 million in 20010/11.
Making research results widely available
BRE Trust supported research has been published this year in several Trust reports, information papers and NHBC Foundation reports – comfortably exceeding the target for publications set at the beginning of the year. Sir Neville highlighted two recent Trust reports on domestic wind turbines.
Increased energy costs have highlighted the benefits of electricity generated by renewables, including domestic micro-wind turbines. But there is little reliable information available for someone thinking about installing wind turbines at their home. The first report ‘Micro-wind turbines in urban environments: an assessment’ presents the results of Trust funded research on the likely payback periods in terms of economic and carbon costs, for domestic wind turbines at three representative UK urban locations. This enables those considering installing micro-turbines to decide whether they would be cost effective and environmentally beneficial.
Should they decide to install a wind turbine, the second report ‘Micro-wind turbines on house roofs’ gives guidance on where it should be mounted to optimise performance. The two reports demonstrate the Trust’s ability to take a topical issue, and generate and publish independent and soundly based information for the wider public.
Prestigious recognition for the Trust’s work
On display at the Meeting was the ‘David A Lucht Lamp of Knowledge’, awarded to the Trust by the American Society of Fire Protection Engineers. This is the first time the Society has made this award to an organisation outside the United States. It recognises the Trust’s support for the Centre for Fire Safety Engineering at Edinburgh University, and for awarding PhD studentships to the Centre and to other UK Universities.
Encouraging future researchers
For the third consecutive year the Trust has provided Parmiter’s School (near the BRE Group’s headquarter in Watford) with support to enable a group of sixth-form pupils to participate in the Engineering Education Scheme (England), which is part of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s ‘Best’ programme. This scheme gives pupils the opportunity to work on a project, guided by a mentor from a company, in this case BRE Global Limited, so they can experience science, engineering and technology first hand. The students’ project on ‘Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to ensure and maintain the condition of fire safety compartments’, gained them a gold award in the British Association for the Advancement of Science CREST scheme.
The next three years
Sir Neville Simms reported that the Trustees have agreed a comprehensive research policy for the next three years. This includes extending the activities that the Trust will consider funding beyond applied research, to include:
- stakeholder advice in publications such as digests and information papers for industry practitioners and the general public
- education and training course content development (but not delivery)
- collation and aggregation, through desk studies, and dissemination of existing/hidden knowledge.
The principal target of the increased funding announced at the Meeting, will be single theme, three-year programmes of work focussing on topical and important areas. In the first instance no more than two or three themes will be chosen. The themed programmes will:
- be based on a topic recognised as nationally important
- not be solely funded by the Trust
- have an expected time frame of three years, with both ‘quick wins’ and more long-term objectives built in.
For more information contact John Burdett, BRE Trust Secretary:
T 01923 664598, E mailto: burdettj@bretrust.org.uk
Notes for editors
Photograph
The BRE Trust
The BRE Trust is a charitable company whose objectives are, through research and education, to advance knowledge, innovation and communication in all matters concerning the built environment for public benefit. http://www.bre.co.uk
The Trust owns the BRE Group Ltd, which in turn owns BRE (www.bre.co.uk), BRE Global Ltd (www.breglobal.co.uk) and FBE Management Ltd. In operational terms, the BRE Trust and the BRE Group are two sides of a single coin, with one side being the commercial operations, i.e. the BRE Group, and the other the charitable operations – the BRE Trust. Profits made by BRE Group companies are passed to the Trust and used by it to promote its charitable objectives.
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