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  • Lee Doddridge Appointed Vice Chair of the Association of Security Consultants 

    Lee Doddridge Appointed Vice Chair of the Association of Security Consultants 

    Lee Doddridge has been appointed Vice Chair of the Association of Security Consultants (ASC), supporting the organisation’s leadership as it continues to expand its activities and engagement across the security sector. 

    Lee brings broad experience across UK businesses, government departments and security consultancy projects. In his previous role as ASC Director for External Events, he played an important role in strengthening the Association’s engagement with members and the wider sector through industry events and collaboration. 

    Commenting on his appointment, Lee said: 

    “The ASC community brings together a wealth of expertise and experience across the security profession. I am delighted to take on the role of Vice Chair and support the continued development of the Association, particularly in strengthening engagement with members and developing events and initiatives that bring our community together.” 

    Working alongside Chair Simon Crane and the ASC Board, Lee will help support the continued growth of the Association, contributing to initiatives that strengthen collaboration across the industry and promote the value of independent security consultancy. 

  • Know what is going on

    Know what is going on

    The ASC has sponsored All Security Events in recognition of the need to ensure the coordination of events across the industry.

    To address the frustration of planning events only to discover they clash with another event, All Security Events was established by security industry veterans Graham Bassett and Mike Hurst.  As regular attendees at security industry events, they found themselves discussing which of the five security events happening in London on the same day they were going to attend. This prompted them to look at possible solutions and as result of that discussion AllSecurityEvents.com was created. It is a website for the whole industry to help with planing and coordination.

    Gary Thomas, ASC Chair said “Events, such as Business Groups and CONSEC take careful planning and a lot of commitment. The frustration when you discover an event is conflicting with another event when everything is in place can be very demoralising and impact the success. This is why a resource like All Security Events is so important to the industry.”

    Upcoming Events – All Security Events

  • May Business Group Meeting & AGM

    May Business Group Meeting & AGM

    Book your free place now!

    Next event: ASC Business Group & AGM

    Times: 9 am to 3:30 pm

    Location: IET, Savoy Place, London, WC2R 0BL

    Date: Wednesday, 15 May 2024

    The Business Group Meetings are an opportunity to support your continued development and stay at the forefront of the industry, as well as to meet up with friends, colleagues, and peers within the wide spectrum of the security industry that make up the membership.

    May’s event has a packed agenda and all the elements needed to make it a successful ASC Networking. For those who can stay for the whole day the Business Group will be followed by the Association of Security Consultants AGM. An opportunity to hear from the Chair and the new Board about their plans for the ASC and the changes they have already implemented.

    The overarching theme for the Business Group is ‘Identifying & Countering Insider Threats’.

    The day will include input from:

    – Lisa Lewis, Business Development Manager at Idemia, on the Benefits of using Biometrics as opposed to RFID Cards for security.

    – Cat Johnston, Head of Customer Relations at Commend UK Ltd, about the benefits of professional security and intercom communication in a host of different environments.

    – An update from Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of Counter Terrorism for London.

    – Clarke Jarrett, Director of Special Projects at AHNA Group.

    – A word from our sponsor for the day, David Dorton at CIE Group.

     We will be filming during the day so that those who are unable to attend will have an opportunity to view some of the content post-event.

     To secure your place go to events

  • The Second Consultation For The Terrorism Bill Has Opened

    The Second Consultation For The Terrorism Bill Has Opened

    The second consultation for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, also known as Martyn’s Law, has been launched.

    This is an important opportunity for everyone to express their opinions. The proposed revisions include the removal of the requirement for the standard tier to complete a standard tier evaluation or terrorism awareness training for relevant workers.

    Many organisations have already carefully considered Martyn’s Law and its impact. Now is the time to be heard and ensure that it is implemented in a way that will save lives in the future.

    Your chance to have your say 

  • NY Message from Gary Thomas

    NY Message from Gary Thomas

    As we reflect on 2023, I would like to express my gratitude to the ASC Board, our valued members and friends for their unwavering support.

    As Chair, I aim to ensure that the ASC’s position as a vital industry leader continues. 2024 will see some exciting new changes – beginning with a new location for our upcoming Business Group seminars and networking events. We’ve managed to secure the Institution of Engineering & Technology, just next to Waterloo Bridge, to make the events even more accessible and convenient for our speakers and a growing number of attendees. The future focus of our business group meetings will be the professional development of members, our industry cohorts and to effectively network with like-minded individuals.

    We’re pleased to announce that our first guest speaker for the February meeting will be Dennis Roe – this year’s ASC Imbert Award winner – who will present his dissertation on the topic of how ‘risky’ surveyors are when designing security and surveillance solutions. We’ll also be including an open table session for members to contribute their thoughts and industry insights and solutions in this field.

     To secure your space at this year’s Business Group meetings, drop us a line with the dates you’ll be joining us:

    • Thursday, 22nd February 2024
    • Thursday, 16th May 2024
    • Thursday, 19th September 2024
    • Wednesday, 13th November 2024

    During my last few months as Chair, I’ve been reassured to see that our ASC members remain a professional and sought-after group of subject matter experts (SMEs) who play a pivotal role in advancing understanding and innovation within the security sector. As SMEs our members produce a significant volume of current and relevant material which the ASC now intends to archive as a definitive resource, preserving valuable insights. Archiving our research, academic insights and collateral ensures the continuity of knowledge and serves as a roadmap for defining industry best practices. This, in turn, contributes to the evolution and improvement of practices within the security sector. With the development of our website – www.ascuk.org –  this vital repository  will become a searchable resource, providing a significant membership benefit, and supporting continuing professional development and competency.

    Many of you will remember that during lockdown, we held several successful and thought-provoking webinars. We now plan to expand on these accessible online sessions in the coming months, and our Board Lead Ross Harvey, will update you with details soon. 

    One of our other Board Directors, Simon Crane, has been busy conducting a feasibility study on an overseas membership program. The program aims to expand network opportunities, shared experiences and knowledge for members both domestically and internationally. Again, more details will be shared on our website soon.

    An additional exciting change will see the ASC Awards Ceremony merge with CONSEC 24. Next year’s venue will be The Hilton, Heathrow T5, allowing us to accommodate more exhibitors and delegates than ever before. CONSEC 24 will take place on October 17th and allows us to finally mark our slightly ‘Pandemic-delayed’ 30th Anniversary. CONSEC 24 will include a celebration dinner to celebrate 30 years of CONSEC in style, with a presentation of both the Imbert and Mike Cahalane Awards.

    The ASC is also honoured to be announced as the main sponsor of the Women in Security Awards on September 23rd at the Underglobe in London. This is an important industry red-carpet event, and we are thrilled to be hosting the awards in 2024.

    Finally, for those who enjoy the opportunity to dress up, our Annual End of Year meal will take place at the House of Lords on Friday 6th December. I would like to thank everyone who attended the meal this year, as well as our sponsors, TSP, Genetec and CIE, for making it a fantastic evening. 

    Congratulations to Joe Connell, the previous ASC Chair, who received his Honorary Lifetime ASC Membership, and to the three finalists of the Imbert Award.

    I will sign off by wishing everyone a very prosperous and safe 2024.

    Gary Thomas, ASC Chair