Our branch in the West of England
Learn, collaborate and network with CIPD members and people professionals in the West of England
Learn, collaborate and network with CIPD members and people professionals in the West of England
Welcome to our branch.
Thank you for visiting our branch page. My name is Marisa Colbourn and I am very proud to be elected as chair of the CIPD Branch in the West of England. I am pleased to take this opportunity to introduce myself and reach out to you all as valued CIPD members. I am a Chartered Fellow with over 10 years of post-qualified experience, I also have experience teaching CIPD as a module tutor at Weston College; as well as Associate Lecturer at the University West of England where I studied for my Master's in HRM.
At the branch, we believe all CIPD members can benefit from participating in our activities. This may be through attending branch events, contributing to our newsletters, supporting our activities or feeding into our steering or special interest group. If you are a member, you can join our branch committee, expand your network and benefit from direct involvement in running the branch, or join the events team if you would like to contribute your skills to planning and running events locally.
Feel free to reach out and join us. We are always looking for volunteers who enable this all to happen. If you would like to connect, sign up for our newsletter or you are always welcome to contact me directly.
Marisa Colbourn, Chartered FCIPD
Branch Chair
Our members rate their access to a local branch in their top three membership benefits. Come along to our branch events to discover other CIPD benefits. Explore the issues and trends impacting our profession. Network, learn and share ideas with people professionals in our area.
All those involved in running our branch are volunteers who readily give up their own time to represent the CIPD locally. Their dedication and commitment help make the branch the member-driven success that it is, and we are very grateful for their inputs.
We are looking for volunteers to join the branch committee, events team and independent practitioners group to continue to take the branch forward, to raise our profile locally and help deliver a diverse range of events for our members. If you're interested in finding out more, have a chat with one of our committee members at our next event or contact us by email. You can also read more about branch volunteering below.
With workshops, round tables, panel discussions and expert speakers, our thought-provoking events cover everything our community needs. Network, learn and stay up to date.
Keen to get involved, give back or raise your profile? Whatever your skills and interests, learn more about branch volunteering.
Just starting out on your career? Want to meet experienced people professionals and keep up to date with all the topics you cover in your studies? We’re here for you as you study for your CIPD qualification.
The CIPD member to member mentoring programme connects People Professionals to help you develop your skills, learn from one another and progress within your career.
Whether you are looking for a mentor, want to share your expertise as a mentor or perhaps both, it has never been easier with our online platform.
Want to get involved? Got an idea for an event? We want to hear from you!
Email usOur special interest groups are all about bringing together people professionals who share the same passions, to connect, swap ideas, and learn from each other.
This autumn (2025), we are excited to launch two brand-new groups. Get in touch to find out more, and let us know what other special interest groups you’d like to see in the future.
The branch has an independent practitioners group (IPG) which aims to ensure that the needs and interests of CIPD members who are independent consultants, practitioners, trainers and coaches are met. The IPG organise events as part of the branch programme.
IPG events are informal networking meetings based around a specific theme. Each event includes facilitated discussion, with plenty of opportunities for participants to get to know each other, share their experiences, and learn from the experiences of others.
Get in touch to find out more. And let us know your ideas for other special interest groups.