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Thank you to everyone who attended the 2008 Conference in Brighton. It was a fantastic event, expertly organised by Sushila Abraham of SPG’s Executive Committee and Stephanie Nunn of the Law Society.

SPG hopes that you all found the programme very useful and informative and that you enjoyed a great weekend. From the brilliant feedback we’ve received from you, it sounds as if you found the Conference relevant and had fun too! Thank you very much for all your kind comments.

I look forward to seeing you all next year!

Karen

“Never a dull moment and CPD points"

Having just returned from the SPG Annual Conference held this year in Brighton, I wish to express my appreciation to our SPG committee and in particular, our Chairman, Karen Purdy who handled the conference with great skill and our [now] Vice Chairman Sushila Abrahams with Stephanie Nunn of the Law Society, for organising the event.

Although I had not previously attended the annual conference, from the moment I arrived on the Friday evening, I was made to feel welcome and included in all the activities.

It was evident that our Committee had put a great deal of effort into ensuring that the seminars were appropriate and informative. Topics included advice on costs and charging, client care and complaints handling, money laundering, HIPS and regulation of the profession with plenty of opportunity to question the speakers.

One session provided information on how the SPG supports and encourages local groups of SPs up and down the country. It was interesting to know that if anyone wishes to start a group then the committee can provide support and funding to get it off the ground and can also put you in touch with speakers many of whom are willing to provide their services free.

I also learned that our SPG committee is working hard on our behalf to ensure that although we are each separate entities our combined voice is represented at the Law Society and the Solicitors Regulation Authority in an effort to ensure that our freedom to continue practising as SPs and enabling others to do likewise in the future is preserved.

On the Saturday evening, the committee organised a black tie dinner and it was great to see everyone having the opportunity to let their hair down dancing to live music after a fine 3 course meal. Partners were welcome at this and other functions and it was great to see so many attendees.

The Annual General Meeting of the SPG took place during the conference and it was apparent that without our sponsors some of whom were exhibitors and particularly Prime Professions, the cost to us of such a splendid conference may have been a lot higher than the reasonable fee of £185 if you signed up for all events. As this price included three meals including the splendid three course dinner and 8 CPD points it was terrific value for money. The venue hotel also provided discounted rates for delegates.

The only disappointment is that so few of you joined us. I believe there are over 4,000 SPs registered with the Law Society but only around 150 attended the conference. What a missed opportunity when you could have been having a fun and relaxing weekend in the sea air and with CPD points into the bargain.

For my part, I have returned to my practice with a sense of positive affirmation of my position as an SP and having picked up lots of advice and tips from my fellow delegates, renewed confidence for the future.

So to my fellow delegates, thanks for the memories, and I look forward to seeing you all again next year with, I hope, many more of us in attendance.

Carol Gregorious (Mrs)
C.A.G. Solicitors”

I just wanted to send a quick e-mail in order to say a huge thank you to both yourself and the rest of the Executive Committee for the excellent and highly enjoyable conference in Brighton last weekend. It was my first time attending the conference, but it certainly won’t be my last. Many thanks to you all for organizing such a useful and informative programme of events.

I was so impressed by all the obvious hard work, dedication and passion of the Committee, not only in organizing the conference, but also in the day-to-day task of representing all of us SP’s in the fast-changing environment in which we practice. It was so encouraging and energizing to be in a room full of other SP’s who are standing together in unity to ensure that our excellence as practitioners and our commitment to our clients is not easily swept under the carpet by the powers that be. So often, I come away from conferences feeling demoralized and devalued by our Regulators and indeed even by others in our profession, particularly as I am still battling on with legal aid work. I came away from the SPG conference, however, with a renewed passion for what I do and the determination to fight on another day.

May I also say how very friendly, warm and welcoming everybody was – I was a little daunted and nervous about attending alone, without knowing anybody else, but I was quickly put at ease.

A few of us discussed the prospect of a local group in Kent and I really hope that it gets off the ground – the mutual support and encouragement of other SP’s is priceless. I shall do my best to encourage the other SP’s with whom I come into contact to get involved.

So thank you again to you all – I really appreciate the work you do on my behalf as an SP, and the sacrifices you make of your personal time, and I look forward to getting involved and attending further SPG events.

Kind regards

Hilary Underwood
Principal Solicitor”