From left to right:
Lisa-Jayne Cook, Amy Gittoes, Sam Buckell, Lisa Pogson, Astrid Prado, Carley Fountain, Amy Richardson, Lisa Waters, and Kevin Glass.
The all-day event brought together eight committee members from across the UK for a strategic planning session, networking opportunities and a behind-the-scenes tour of the Bitzer UK and Green Point UK facilities.
The group, co-chaired by Samantha Buckell of Bitzer UK and Astrid Prado of Star Refrigeration, meets monthly, usually virtually, and typically gathers in person at the IOR’s Annual General Meeting each November. This April meeting marked a valuable opportunity for the group to connect face-to-face, reflect on recent achievements, and set goals for the year ahead.
The strategy session focused on planning future initiatives, including launching a career profile section on the IOR website, designing practical training days for those outside hands-on engineering roles, and introducing 15-minute Q&A sessions on key topics, such as neurodiversity, public speaking and networking.
The group also explored ways to increase outreach and promote inclusivity across the refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump sector. With Bitzer UK’s central location and strong commitment to supporting the group, the event proved a productive and inspiring milestone for the network.
The group had a guided tour of Bitzer’s facilities, led by managing director Kevin Glass and sales director James Graham. It included an up-close look at the strip-down process for both open-type screw compressors and reciprocating units, giving an insight into the engineering excellence and meticulous standards that underpin Bitzer’s Green Point UK operations.
“Seeing our compressors disassembled and serviced first-hand offers a unique perspective on the design and engineering that go into these refrigeration workhorses,” said Samantha Buckell. “It highlighted the attention to detail and commitment to quality that define Bitzer and Green Point. We’re always proud to open our doors to the industry and share our expertise.”
She added: “It was a great day of team building and putting some exciting plans and actions into place for 2025,” continued Sam. “If you’re in the industry and thinking about getting involved, then I’d recommend you check out our podcast, ‘The States of Matter’, to find out more about us. We’re a welcoming group and always open to new ideas to help our network grow.”
The WiRACHP network is open to all working in refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump-related roles, from service and maintenance to marketing. You don’t have to be an IOR member to participate.
For more information about the Women in RACHP Network, visit: www.ior.org.uk/networking/women-in-rachp.