Long Term Contribution Award for University Estates Director
Director of Estates and Facilities Colin Blair (centre) is pictured at the recent visit by the University's Patron, HRH The Duke of York (left), with the University's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bob Cryan (right).
Wed, 01 Apr 2015 10:33:00 BST
The University’s Director of Estates and Facilities, Colin Blair, is the winner of the Award for Long Term Contribution at the inaugural Higher Education Estates and Facilities Awards
A MAN who has played a major part in ensuring that the University of Huddersfield has one of the UK’s best-quality campuses has been honoured at a national ceremony.
Colin Blair (pictured), the University’s Director of Estates and Facilities, is the winner of the Award for Long Term Contribution at the inaugural Higher Education Estates and Facilities Awards, instituted by the Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE).
During Mr Blair’s 17 years in his post, continual improvements mean that 93 per cent of the University’s buildings are now in the highest-rated A and B categories.
This places Huddersfield in the UK’s top ten, as ranked by the Government’s Higher Education Statistics Agency. But when Mr Blair began his role in 1997, just 21 per cent of the University’s estate was given A or B ratings.
Mr Blair has also presided over an ambitious £100 million building programme, and a new £200 million investment phase is underway. But this has been achieved without the need to borrow cash, so that the University of Huddersfield is debt-free.
The AUDE award was bestowed at a ceremony in Stirling, venue for the Association’s annual conference. Mr Blair – who has served on AUDE’s National Executive Committee – was accompanied to the event by University of Huddersfield Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bob Cryan.
“I could not wish for a better estates and facilities director,” said Professor Cryan, who praised Mr Blair’s astuteness in gaining value for money and for his many personal qualities.
“As well as transforming the physical estate, Colin has reconfigured the facilities service,” continued Professor Cryan. “He has created a sense of pride and a ‘Team Huddersfield’ spirit that pervades all the staff.”
25 years’ service
Among the strategies pursued by Mr Blair has been to divest the University of owning student accommodation, so that the money saved could be used to invest in the academic estate. At the same time, private sector ownership and management has seen the number of student beds in Huddersfield soar from 2,000 to 4,500.
Colin Blair was a project engineer in the private sector before, in 1983, he joined Kirklees Council in Huddersfield as a maintenance engineer. After six years, he was appointed Senior Building Services Engineer at the University of Huddersfield. In 1998, Colin became Director of Estates and Facilities and in 2014, the Vice-Chancellor of the University presented Colin with his award for 25 years’ service.
Colin Blair is a chartered engineer and has an MSc (Distinction) in Facilities Management. He served for nine years on the National Executive Committee of AUDE and for four years he was the organisation’s treasurer. He is also a former Chair of the AUDE North East Region.
