A Year in Review: Halifax & Bradford Institute Round-Up

Following our AGM on 7 May, it’s a great opportunity to reflect on what has been a successful and engaging year for the Insurance Institute of Halifax & Bradford.

As your local institute, we continue to provide CPD, networking and social opportunities for members across the region, while working to strengthen engagement within our local insurance and financial services community.

Under the leadership of our President, Amanda Shaw, the Council has focused on building connections, supporting development, and ensuring the Institute remains relevant and inclusive.

A Look Back at 2025–2026

Over the past year, we have delivered a range of activity to support both professional development and community engagement.

📚 CPD & Learning
Our CPD offering this year has been delivered entirely online, providing flexible access for members across the region. Sessions have included topics such as industry-specific webinars and wider learning opportunities aligned to members’ professional development needs.

🎉 Annual Dinner

Our Annual Dinner, held at the Holiday Inn, Brighouse, was once again a highlight of the calendar.

The evening brought together members and guests from across the local market and successfully raised funds for the President’s chosen charity, Cash for Kids.

A charity raffle on the evening raised funds towards the total
A further £500 donation from the Ardonagh Community Trust helped boost fundraising
Bringing the total raised to £1,985.46

This was a fantastic achievement and a great example of the generosity of our local community.

🧠 Charity Quiz Night

Our Quiz Night once again proved a popular and enjoyable event.

The event raised £427 on the night
This was matched by Everywhen, taking the total to £854

We would also like to thank those who supported the event through prize donations, including:

Arch Insurance
Sedgwick
Brown & Brown

💙 Supporting Our Charity

Across both events, we are incredibly proud of what was achieved in support of Cash for Kids, helping to raise meaningful funds for children and families across our region.

Thank you to everyone who attended, donated, and supported these events — it truly reflects the strength of our local insurance community.

Strengthening Local Connections

One of the standout achievements this year has been our developing relationship with PwC Bradford.

Through engagement with their team — including a cohort of over 30 colleagues undertaking CII qualifications — we have:

Promoted the value of the Local Institute
Supported early-career professionals
Strengthened links with a key organisation in our region

This is a great example of how we are expanding our reach and engaging the next generation of professionals.

Looking Ahead to 2026–2027

As we move into the new Institute year, we are focused on building further momentum and increasing engagement.

Plans include:

A full-day in-person CPD event, followed by a social session
Annual Dinner returning to the Holiday Inn, Brighouse (date TBC)
Charity Quiz Night returning to the calendar
Continued delivery of accessible CPD sessions

Leadership & Council Updates

We are pleased to confirm that Amanda Shaw will continue as President, following an excellent year focused on engagement, growth and collaboration — including our work with PwC Bradford.

We are also delighted to welcome new members to Council:

Ian Chapman – returning to Council with a long-standing connection to the former Halifax Institute. We are very pleased to welcome him back following time away due to external work and family commitments.
Bodrul Uddin (PwC Bradford) – further strengthening our relationship with PwC and bringing a fresh perspective to the Council.

Get Involved

We are always keen to hear from members who would like to get more involved in the Institute.

Whether attending events, contributing ideas, or joining Council, there are plenty of ways to play a part in shaping the future of Halifax & Bradford Institute.

We look forward to another successful year ahead and thank all our members for their continued support.

A Year in Review: Halifax & Bradford Institute Round-Up