February has been an energising and productive month for SSF UK as we spent time out on the road visiting several of our member organisations. These visits continue to be a vital part of member engagement, helping us strengthen relationships, understand member priorities, and ensure our community receives the greatest possible value from their SSF UK membership.
Throughout the month, we met with member organisations Hologic, Places for People, and BAE Systems, gaining insight into their journey, current projects, challenges, and areas of focus for the year ahead.
We began the month with a visit to one of our newest members, Hologic. It was a pleasure to meet with Adam Broome, Chris Minshull, Joe Kisby and James Wilkinson, gaining a deeper understanding of their organisation and future priorities. The team shared updates on their work, upcoming developments, and the value they are looking to gain from being part of the SSF UK community.
Later in the month, we travelled to Preston for a full day of member visits. Our morning began with Places for People, long‑standing SSF UK members. We were welcomed by Joanne Owen, Kirsty McDonald, Kirsty Middleton, Laura Halliwell and Ruby Bleazard, who provided an update on their major integration project due for completion this year. It was encouraging to hear about their achievements, challenges, and the exciting initiatives planned over the coming years.
We continued our Preston visits with a session at BAE Systems, meeting Anthony Swarbrick, Yaqoob Hafejee, Emma Smith, Donna McLaren, Victoria Swanson and Kim Smith. Conversations centred around the topics they would like to explore further with the SSF UK community, the connections they hope to build with other organisations, and insights into what SSF UK has planned for 2026.
During each visit, several common themes emerged around what members are keen to see more of this year:
These topics will play an important role in shaping our events and conversations throughout 2026.
Across all visits, there was shared excitement for the Future Vision Conference, taking place on November 11th and 12th at Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Club. Members are already turning their attention to the Future Vision Awards, discussing potential nominations and reflecting on the achievements they want to spotlight this year.
Our February visits have been invaluable in deepening relationships across our membership. They give us the opportunity to understand what matters most to you as the member, share our plans for the year ahead, and ensure SSF UK continues to deliver meaningful value to organisations across the UK. We would like to extend a warm thank‑you to all teams who welcomed us into their Shared Service Centres. We truly appreciate your time, openness, and commitment to strengthening our shared services community. We look forward to continuing these conversations and seeing you all again soon.
