It is with much regret that the Trustees have decided to pause all consideration of new applications for funding this year.  The Rees Jeffreys Road Fund relies entirely on its investments to support its work and, given the volatile and uncertain state of the markets, it has decided it is prudent to pause all further spending this year and concentrate on honouring its existing commitments.

Chairman David Tarrant commented “I hope everyone who is involved with the work of the Fund will understand this decision in these very difficult times.  I want to reassure you that this is just a pause and, I am in no doubt, the Fund will continue for many years yet. I have asked the Secretary to continue to work with potential applicants so that we will be prepared to restart the Fund’s work as soon as possible.” For more information on the revised arrangements please go to our our Funding page https://www.reesjeffreys.co.uk/contact-us/

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Leon Daniels as a new Trustee with immediate effect. Leon is recognised for his world-class experience, expertise and knowledge of public sector transport in the United Kingdom, USA, Europe and Far East.  He has an extensive background in streets management; bus transport; urban rail; cycling; road safety; river operations; the taxi and private hire industry; policing and enforcement; highway engineering and major project delivery. Until his retirement from Transport for London (TfL) in December 2017 Leon was managing director, Surface Transport at TfL, with responsibility for delivery of £3.5 billion of road, light rail and transport services.

Chairman of the Fund David Tarrant welcomed his appointment saying “Leon has a depth of business knowledge and a wealth of experience that will make him a significant addition to the Trustee team”.

The Fund’s Annual Report and Financial Statement for 2019 is now available at https://www.reesjeffreys.co.uk/annual-reports/.  An annual return for 2019 to the Charity Commission has also been completed.

A new report, granted funded by Rees Jeffreys, from the Independent Transport Commission (ITC) has been published which highlights major changes in travel behaviour across the bus market in England over the past decade. Against a backdrop of falling overall bus usage in spite of significant population growth, the report shows that the traditional core market for the bus has been shrinking. Today’s bus travel is shaped around a smaller number of higher-intensity users, with each passenger outside London making an additional 5% journeys than in 2009.

The researchers used National Travel Survey (NTS) data to explore what has been happening to bus travel demand in England since 2009, and investigates how the bus market has been changing in recent years.

For more detail click on the full report  The shape of changing bus demand in England.

Professor Stephen Glaister has stood down as a Trustee of the Fund after 40 years of unbroken service. Stephen was a recipient of a Rees Jeffreys Fellowship at the start of his long and distinguished career and with typical modesty in saying farewell to the Fund he said, “I want to thank the Fund and my fellow Trustees for making my career”. He went on to express his wish that the Fund continues its work in the same way as it has done during his time for many more years to come.

On behalf of the Trustees David Tarrant thanked Stephen for his his remarkable contribution over that long time. “His vast experience and unique blend of skills and knowledge will be sorely missed by his fellow Trustees. He had been a consistent supporter of the Fund undertaking several roles to which he always applied his wise counsel. I can safely say an involvement of such a consistent high quality over such a sustained period will never be repeated. Everyone involved with the Fund wishes Stephen well for the future.”

Rees Jeffreys is pleased to report the award of eight bursaries to students taking a full time Masters in transport in 2019/20.  For more details visit the Bursaries page.

A note of a Round Table discussion hosted by the Fund with senior figures involved in future planning for England’s road network on strategic challenges has now been released.  It follows publications of reports from WSP and Phil Carey on MRN related topics.  For more information go to the publications page.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Andy Graham as a new Trustee with immediate effect. Andy is a civil engineer with 33 years’ experience in transport projects using new technology and assessing and optimising the operational and business impacts and benefits they deliver. He has held director level appointments at AECOM, developing consultancy teams to support multi-million-pound project delivery and now leads his own company, White Willow Consulting.

Chairman of the Fund David Tarrant welcomed the latest appointment saying “Andy’s strong CV including his experience with new technology in transport projects will be a great addition to the Trustee team”.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Hilary Chipping as a new Trustee with immediate effect. Hilary is Chief Executive at the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP), which she helped to establish in 2011.   She oversees the £265m programme of investment through the Local Growth Fund and the development of the Local Industrial Strategy designed to increase productivity. She works closely with Central Government, local authority and private sector partners to enhance skills, support businesses and deliver economic  growth. From 2008 to 2011 she was Director of the Milton Keynes South Midlands Growth Area (the largest growth area in the UK). As Director of Network Strategy at the Highways Agency from 2001 to 2007 she developed the investment strategy for the motorway and trunk road network.

Chairman of the Fund David Tarrant welcomed the appointment saying “Hilary’s experience and knowledge will be of great value and I know she make a really important contribution that will add to the existing Trustee team”.