NATIONAL FREELANCERS DAY SPEECH
Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to a very special day in IPSE’s calendar, National Freelancers Day.
It’s great to see so many new and familiar faces – thank you all for coming.
My name is James Collings, and I’m extremely proud to be Chairman of IPSE, the largest membership organisation for the self-employed in the EU.
I'd first like to express my gratitude to Julie Stewart for her fine work as IPSE's Chairman for the past two years. She is a great servant to our community and an absolute credit to her profession. I know I have big shoes to fill in order to build further on IPSE's recent successes. So thank you Julie.
When I was appointed as Chairman earlier this year, I vowed to support and protect the UK's freelancers and seek further opportunities to build and grow the influence of IPSE as a leading business organisation. I hope you’ve seen me keep this promise in my time as Chairman so far – yet what’s really exciting is that I know there is still so much ambition for IPSE to do even more.
Later this month we’ll be launching our think tank, the Centre for Research in Self Employment, and we have several leading academics on board who I know will be real asset to us.
There’s also our flagship Policy Day in April next year, where we’ll bring together heads of industry and influential politicians to look at ways we can make the UK an even better place to be self-employed.
It’s only been a year since PCG became IPSE, but in that time we’ve achieved so much. IPSE’s manifesto, introduced ahead of the General Election, has been a huge success, with the Government taking on and developing many of our ideas. Such as a Small Business Commissioner for the UK, a review into self-employment and the National Infrastructure Commission.
A huge amount of effort went in to developing policies which will benefit people who work for themselves and the wider economy. So a well done to our Director of Policy, Simon McVicker, and his team for their hard work.
It’s not just been a ground-breaking year from a policy viewpoint – we also took home three of the top prizes at this year’s Trade Association Awards, including trade association of the year and the event of the year, for National Freelancers Day 2014. I believe the judges described IPSE as a “force to be reckoned with”.
High praise indeed and a huge well done to everyone who helped make this happen.
Despite a more challenging year than previously, the past 12 months has seen independent professionals go from strength to strength.
In fact, new IPSE research released today has revealed that almost nine in ten freelancers love what they do, and wouldn’t dream of working any other way.
Is this a surprise? Not to me.
From working to your own timetable to operating in different locations, choosing your clients and being your own boss, independent professionals have many reasons for taking the leap into the world of freelancing.
National Freelancers Day celebrates the UK’s 1.9 million people who make the brave step to work for themselves.
The world of freelancing is becoming more colourful, diverse and important to our economy than ever before.
We believe that this is something worth celebrating.
That’s why every year, with thanks to our sponsors who help make this possible, we showcase and reward the fantastic work that independent professionals have delivered.
We at IPSE champion everyone who chooses to work for themselves. And as we have done in the past, we will do in the future, and represent the self-employed to the best of our abilities. You can count on us for that.
Now to the evening ahead. We really have a great line-up for you all tonight.
First up, you will hear from our host, Shappi Khorsandi, followed by our keynote speaker, renowned entrepreneur Chris Chapman. And of course, we’ll be announcing the winners of the IPSE Awards, to see who will be crowned the nation’s freelancers of the year. And, based on the feedback from the award judges, I can honestly say, you are all worthy winners in my eyes.
Now before we begin may I say a few words about our host this evening. She is one of the UK’s finest comedians. She performs her stand-up shows in sell out venues across the globe. We’re very lucky to have her with us here today.
Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming to the stage, SHAPPI KHORSANDI!