2022 was yet another tumultuous year with economic, political, and climatic turmoil in the UK and across the world. The repercussions of rapidly rising inflation, hikes in interest rates, and soaring energy bills with the constant supply of ‘bad’ news stories whenever you read the paper or listened to the radio, reinforced a significant challenge to people's well-being that had been left in tatters from the Covid pandemic. It would be easy to enter 2023 with a highly negative view of what is to come and be led by the constant supply of economic warnings that seem to gain the most headlines within today's tabloids. It is easy to forget how the rhetoric altered through the year and the yo-yoing regarding whether we would enter a recession, what inflation would look like and where interest rates would top out.
As businesses, whilst being cognisant of external commentators' views, understating market forces and being economically astute, we have to focus on the areas that we can directly control on a day-to-day basis. Throughout 2022 Fisher German continued to grow both organically and through its merger with Matthews and Goodman, a move that brings greater diversity and strength to both firms. Since then, we have enjoyed many opportunities to collaborate, and cross-sell to deliver greater revenues. The two firms continue to integrate into one, cohesive business and this will only provide even more opportunities to grow. This strengthening of our business, driven by client demand, allows us to enter 2023 with positivity. We have a broad range of clients across many market areas, aligned with a greater depth of specialist skill set to support opportunities that will continue to materialise throughout this year.
When we look at key strategic trends that will impact our clients such as globalisation, demographic shifts, technological development, and sustainability, our focus remains on building a legacy partnership that is best placed to continue to provide advice that adds maximum value. This will be delivered through the creativity and excellence of our teams in truly understanding our clients and their goals.
We continue to invest in our office network to provide a workspace that enhances the productivity of our teams, whilst maintaining proximity to our clients and their properties. In addition to welcoming the three Matthews & Goodman offices in London, Liverpool and Manchester to our office network, we have also seen several office moves in the last 12 months. Since the start of the year, the Glasgow, Banbury, Market Harborough, Chester and Canterbury offices have all relocated, with the Canterbury office now being in Ashford. In addition, we also opened a new office in Bury St Edmunds in September, providing greater coverage of East Anglia giving a total of 29 offices across the country. The development of technological solutions remains critical, aligned with the utilisation of data to inform decision-making and aid efficiency.
2022 has also proved to be a successful year when it comes to award nominations and wins, highlighting the quality and talent within the firm. In November, Ruth Ofield won the RICS Mentor of The Year award at The Young Surveyor of The Year Awards in recognition of her fantastic work in supporting young surveyors in their careers. Entrants were nominated after RICS apprentices, trainees, and newly qualified professionals under 35 years of age were invited to put forward those who have supported and inspired them to progress in their careers.
The early careers team were also nominated for the Best Early Careers Strategy award at the HR Excellence Awards in early December and Best Development Programme at the National Undergraduate Employability (NUE) awards, where they were also named top property firm in the, Best Student Employers category. In May, the team were also Highly Commended in the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) awards in the Best Graduate Development Programme. In the summer, three of our planners, Nia Borsey, Antonia Wyatt and Melissa Balk won Young Planner of the Year awards at the regional finals of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Awards for Planning Excellence. James Beverley was shortlisted alongside Antonia in the East Midlands region and was Highly Commended by the judges for the quality of his work and his dedication to building relationships with his clients.
Throughout the year, countless colleagues have been involved with fundraising for various causes, including Pride Month, Movember and the Henry Sale Foundation. Many attended and took part in the Henry Sale Cricket Match in late August. The brand new volunteering policy will give eligible colleagues up to two days each year of volunteering or pro bono time which they can use to contribute toward environmental and social causes.
As ever people remain at the core of everything we do as a business. With growth, opportunities materialise for development and progression, strengthening the client experience and building on the culture that underpins the success of the business. Our focus and commitment remain, built on providing exceptional service to our clients by teams that genuinely enjoy what they do on a day-to-day basis, within an environment that cares and values everyone. Clients face challenges and opportunities, and we are looking forward to 2023 with positivity and a real desire to make a difference.
