Greg Pickett – EATTA Chair

It’s been another packed year of events and meetings for EATTA with record member numbers and attendances to boot!

Our year opened in January with the Annual General Meeting at the ever-popular Madingley Hall with a presentation and update on TDUK’s ongoing initiatives from Nick Boulton, which was well-received by all.

Attentions turned to the golf course in May as the inaugural EATTA Golf Day in support of TTBS took place at Bourn Golf Club in Cambridgeshire. The event was expertly organised by EATTA Committee member Antony Considine – so much so that the 2026 event is already fully booked! An incredible £4,420 was raised for TTBS and it’s fantastic to support such a worthwhile charity.

In June we held our second General Meeting of the year at IWM Duxford and were treated to a very informative and superbly presented overview of the timber-frame market by Mike Perry of Donaldson Timber Systems before our final meeting of the year at The Belfry, Cambridge in October where we enjoyed the company of Richard Jarvis who shared with us an insight into the good work taking place at the Truss Rafter Association, as well as some witty anecdotes about his time in the trade.

Sandwiched between these meetings was our Annual Dinner at King’s College in Cambridge. The sun shone for the sell-out event and our thanks must go to all those involved in the organisation of it, not least Anglo Norden Forest Products for their generous sponsorship of the pre-dinner drinks. It’s always the highlight of the EATTA calendar to see more than 300 people from our trade meeting to enjoy one another’s company, celebrate the wins, bemoan the losses and be entertained by the superb Kingsmen Choir and I’m pleased to say that the venue has been secured again for 2026!

The success of our Annual Dinner and the numerous other events and meetings that take place each year have, for many years, been intrinsically linked to the commitment and dedication to EATTA of our recently retired Secretary Sheila Hutchings, supported by her husband Bob. Words can’t do full justice to what Sheila has done for EATTA over the years but she enters full retirement with the very best wishes of us all and our heartfelt thanks for her years of devotion.

I consider it part of the Chair’s duties to ensure continuity for EATTA and as such I was delighted that Tabitha Binding agreed to become our new Secretary during 2025. Replacing the irreplaceable is a tough task and not one for the faint-hearted but Tabitha brings with her a wealth of experience across a number of roles in the timber and sustainable building materials sectors and her passionate approach to the industry is infectious. Whilst she may not be local to the East Anglian region her commitment to EATTA has already been clear for all to see and it’s pleasing to see such a smooth transition in responsibilities having taken place.

I’m equally pleased to now be passing on the baton after my three-year tenure as Chair to our previous Vice Chair Ian Drane of Vida Wood UK. Many of you will be familiar with Ian from his years in the trade and close association with EATTA. Like Tabitha, he brings a passion for EATTA and the timber industry and is also a huge advocate for giving opportunities to and developing young people within the trade. He has mine and the EATTA Committee’s full support and I’m sure he’ll be a popular and engaging Chair. Enjoy it Ian!

All that’s now left for me to say is that I hope that you all have a prosperous and enjoyable year both in your professional and personal lives and I look forward to continuing to spend time with you all at forthcoming EATTA events.