As 2019 draws to a close, Solomons Europe’s co-founder and Strategic Director Kerry Doig takes a look back at a extremely busy and successful 2019 and sets her sights on an even brighter future ahead.

With a new decade on the horizon, it’s a timely opportunity to take stock and look back at the last year. It’s hard to believe all that has happened in 2019 and that we have so much to be thankful for.

We have an amazing team here at Solomons Europe, who are ready to support their colleagues and associates - whether through buddying, mentoring or simply supporting others to achieve their goals.

Most recently Jane, Ryan, Jennifer, Lucy, Graham and Vikki have willingly stepped up to support our new gang of conversion candidates: Rob, Emma, Nathan and Rachael, helping them to settle in quickly and find their feet in their new careers.

But over the course of the last year, pretty much every member of our close-knit team has willingly supported colleagues and trainees in some way. Thank you all for being so ready and committed to #payitforward. Special thanks to Mike Millett, Graham Keen, Anthony Dawson and Craig Smallman, who have made personal efforts to go the extra mile to support their teams and regions in both staff development and client service levels. Along with Andy C and W, Josh M, Alex L and S, Chris H, Josh B, Dave R, Chris R, S & C Adrian L, Dave B, Damien S, Dan Q and who have helped out and supported their colleagues and client teams significantly this year in many different ways.

Our committed and big-hearted management team - Dawn Bowker (otherwise known as Mary Poppins), Dawn Powell, Vic, Ian, Clare, John and Mark have all worked exceptionally hard this year to support our talented tribe of intrapreneurs in so many ways – taking a personal interest in the progress and opportunity available to each and every member of our company, without exception. You are all stars, and I am extremely proud of this amazingly committed team of fully invested people.

2019 has been eventful for us – completing our new Papcastle Depot offices in West Cumbria and getting broadband connected at last in the final month of 2019 – hurrah! This means we can start to share this energising space with other SMEs early in 2020. We have also seen our ‘Who wants to be an Entrepreneur?’ winning businesses Cable & Blake, Little Lifers First Aid and Red Pike Education, grow and build confidence over the last year, which has been such a great experience for us.

Our health and wellbeing event – the Fit District Festival – in the summer brought together some fantastic and generous people to help attendees learn how to eat well, get fit and focus on wellbeing. A huge thank you to those generous souls who gave their time Claire & Jon at Better Bodies, Martin at Anchorpoint, Emma and Laura at Fit District, Sarah Brook, Amy Johnson, Libby Dixon, Georgi Thorns at Northern Heights, James & Claire 38dN, Dave at DMA Safety. Not to mention the amazing Hardwick Circus who closed us out in true festival spirit, along with those hardworking people that kept us fed and watered: Gareth at Smoke BBQ, Kirsty at Elliots, Charlotte at Beans n’Lentils and Steve and the family Drybeck Farm along with the team at CBA Events who kept things running like clockwork over the weekend – it was a pleasure and a privilege to meet and work with all of you. A whistle stop tour video of the weekend can be viewed here

Thank you also to Lucy Harrison from the Harrison Network and Kath Sibley from Napthens. They have kindly supported our #Team15 initiative supporting an internal and external cohort of aspiring chartered surveyors to develop coaching and self-management and legal skills to support their RICS APC progress. Your time and commitment so generously given to this initiative have been so valuable to all those involved.

Similarly, the time and expertise given by those supporting our candidates internally as APC Counsellors, including those who have moved on to new personal challenges - John Houghton, Simon Howarth and Andy Hoyle - thank you for taking the time to support and guide those embarking on this challenging professional test.

Dom and I feel so very lucky to be able to look back over 12 months of amazing experiences. Thanks so much to all of you for being part of this awesome year of events and wishing you all health and happiness for 2020.