November 2025 - Michael Aubrey Structural Engineers

Link Visiting Christmas Appeal

At Michael Aubrey Barrow we’ve always believed in the power of community and in the difference that simple acts of kindness can make.

This year, we’re proud to support Link Visiting and their annual Christmas Appeal, a campaign that brings comfort and companionship to people who may otherwise spend the festive season alone.

Instead of sending our usual Christmas cards and corporate gifts, we’re choosing to give back in a way that directly supports those who need connection the most.

Proud Sponsors of This Year’s Festive Paint & Sip Night

We were delighted to sponsor Link Visiting’s Christmas Paint & Sip Night – a creative, uplifting evening filled with laughter, learning and connection.

Guided by experienced local artists from R Young art gallery guests painted a beautiful winter sky using acrylics (no experience required!), all while raising much-needed funds for Link’s ongoing work.

About Link Visiting

Link Visiting is a local non-profit organisation dedicated to tackling loneliness and social isolation across Wokingham Borough.

Their mission is simple but profound: to create meaningful, lasting connections by pairing volunteers with individuals who would benefit from friendship and company.

Through regular visits, phone calls, group activities and seasonal events, Link Visiting helps improve wellbeing, boost confidence, and bring genuine joy to people who might otherwise feel overlooked or isolated.

Why the Christmas Appeal Matters

For many of us, Christmas is a time for family, warmth and celebration. But for people without close friends or relatives, it can be the loneliest day of the year, a time when isolation, loss and grief feel even heavier.

For the 14th year running, Link Visiting is working to change that.

Their Christmas Appeal ensures that older people across our community receive:

A friendly chat and companionship
A delicious Christmas meal
A thoughtful gift of treats
Access to festive activities and events

These small moments of connection create something incredibly meaningful: the feeling of being remembered, valued and included.

How Donations Make a Difference

Funding is urgently needed to run Link’s full programme of festive events and to ensure every Link Friend receives a gift sometimes the only one they will receive all year.

Here’s what your support can provide:

£5 – A thoughtful Christmas gift delivered to a Link Friend
£15 – A place at a Christmas activity, bringing fun and friendship
£35 – A Christmas lunch and a gift for someone spending the day alone

For over 25 years, The Link Visiting Scheme has been a lifeline for older people across Wokingham Borough.

Through thousands of hours of conversation, shared laughter and genuine companionship, they’ve helped transform lives and strengthen our community.

If you would like to make a donation, please click here.

This year’s Structural Awards from The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) once again brought together the brightest and most visionary structural engineering projects from around the globe – and John Staves, our Managing Director was delighted to attend in his role as Chair of IStructE Limited.

A spotlight on excellence

The 2025 shortlist encompasses 34 extraordinary projects, spanning continents and disciplines. From art-installations crafted in bamboo and paper-tube to major transport hubs, to remediation of ageing infrastructure, what stands out is how structural engineering is embracing a broader purpose: sustainability, social value, and innovation.

Dynamic Equilibrium of Life (Osaka, Japan) is part of the “Arts Structures” category, and specifically uses laminated bamboo and paper-tube construction

What the judging emphasised

Entries were evaluated against four core criteria:

Planet – environmental impact
People – social value
Process – technical innovation
Profession – how the project advances our discipline

This reflects a shift in our profession: engineering isn’t just about making things stand, but about making things better.

Projects such as the RAAC remediation of a hospital in Yorkshire, and the advanced carbon-fibre-hanger bridge in Germany, are examples of engineers stepping into new territory.

Why it matters

For us working in structural engineering (and especially my own business in existing building investigations, remediation and innovation), the Structural Awards provide a powerful reminder:

That client value increasingly means sustainability and reuse.
That technical ingenuity (e.g., new materials, carbon reduction) can differentiate our work.
That the profession’s role is evolving – engineers are not just “behind the scenes”, they are shaping how buildings and infrastructure respond to today’s climate, safety and social challenges.

Fern has no supports beneath its cantilevered neck or tail, which is a first for a dinosaur display.

Reflections from John Staves

Attending this year as Chair of IStructE Limited gave me an opportunity to connect with companies pushing boundaries, but it also reaffirmed what we at Michael Aubrey Structural Engineers value:

clarity of purpose
practical innovation, and
communication.

As engineers we often talk about structural integrity and load paths; these projects remind us we also need integrity in our environmental and social impact, and clear communication with clients and stakeholders.

More than anything, the event was a reminder that our profession can’t stand still. Clients expect us to keep moving forward, the environment leaves us no choice, and the industry is stronger when we continue to adapt and improve.

It was a really enjoyable evening!