Sector Forums

Launched in 2020, our Sector Forums provide an opportunity for members to network, share best practice, discuss the challenges, trends, opportunities, and the latest news within the UK Legal, External Storage, Security, Technology & Innovation, and Women in Business sectors.

Meeting both in person and/or online around 2 or 3 times per year, each forum is led by a nominated chair who will oversee the group's activities and disseminate information gathered to the SSA UK and its members. Chairs are chosen based on their knowledge and expertise.

Access to the sector forums is complimentary to SSA UK and FEDESSA members.

UK Legal

The Legal Sector Forum aims to:

Keep members abreast of updated or new legislation relevant to the self storage sector
Help develop future changes to the MAP and standard agreements
Improve the legal knowledge base of SSA UK members
Share members’ experiences and outcomes of legal issues
Share best practices on managing legal issues within stores

Security

The Security Sector Forum will serve as a platform for members to:

Discuss security due diligence
Raise awareness of Cyber Security
Provide opportunities to discuss and tackle issues/challenges
Consider risk and compliance
Evaluate new technology in security
Work with the police and other government bodies as appropriate to improve industry security and deal with potential threats to the industry

External Storage

This Sector Forum connects external storage and container operator members who will work together to:

Promote external and container storage
Drive improvements and innovation
Share effective best practices
Provide opportunities to discuss and tackle challenges or issues
Encourage sector networking
Provide mutual support to new external storage and container operators
Suggest any changes to the industry standard for external storage and container operators

Technology & Innovation

The Technology & Innovation Sector Forum will:

Evaluate and discuss new technologies in the industry
Provide a working group for suppliers to discuss and test new technology
Look outside the industry to technology that could impact self storage
Share experiences in adopting new technology in the industry

Women in Business

The Women in Business Sector Fourm aims to:

Share members experience of women within the industry
Increase awareness of women leaders within the self storage industry
Improve workplace culture and wellness for women
Increase confidence and self-esteem of women within our businesses
Encourage and motivate more women to join our industry
Inspire career development of women within the self storage sector
Celebrate being women and increase our happiness

Please visit the Sector Forum pages under Events for upcoming dates for all our Sector Forums.

Chairs

Lindsey Hemingway

UK Legal

Lindsey is a partner at Knights plc and an experienced corporate and commercial lawyer, having spent many years as a partner in private practice acting predominantly for entrepreneurs as well as small and medium-sized enterprises. Although Lindsey works across many sectors, for many years a number of her clients have been in the flexible space sector (self storage, managed offices), enabling Lindsey to develop specialist knowledge specific to these businesses. She has worked extensively with the SSA UK to refine the suite of standard self storage agreements and the Manual of Advice and Procedures and regularly delivers legal training sessions for members. She is regarded as one of the very few experts in UK Self Storage Law.

Chris Bryan

External Storage

Chris, a Commercial Manager, advises on all property investment and management activities to a number of privately owned, related companies. As part of the portfolio; Chris leads the expanding self storage business, blue self storage (previously known as Cardiff Self Storage), a container self storage operator based in Cardiff. Chris believes that good quality, container storage operators have an important place in the market. Historically, Container Operators were often thought of as the ‘lower end’ of the market – however with many Container Operators offering a high standard of quality, Chris is looking forward to working with similar minded operators within the Sector Forum to ensure that Containers are recognised in the Self Storage industry for their USP’s. Chris is also a SSA UK Board member, representing container operator members.

Anthony Hebblethwaite

Security

Since 2020 DSOC has grown not only in the Self Storage Sector but also nationally within the wider Fire and Security Industry. Anthony joined DSOC having spent his whole career, 16 years, in the Security Industry across engineering, accounts and most recently, sales. Initially he helped to establish DSOC on a technical level with the alarm receiving platform and technical support across the business. After much success with brand awareness and new business, Ant now heads up Sales and Account Management for all existing and new customers at DSOC. He's the named supplier account manager for over 200 Self Storage facilities in the UK including Big Yellow, Storage King, Ready Steady Store and many more multi-site national operators and small independent operators. He brings security awareness, innovation, and supplier collaboration to his role with the SSA.

Sarah Manning

Women in Business

Sarah joined the container industry in 2007, working in sales for Mr Box. Sarah took over management of the business in the following years and grew the business to five times its original size. Self storage was a key market for Mr Box. Sarah was appointed as a Director in 2012, and in 2016, Mr Box was sold to Mobile Mini, the world’s largest container company. Sarah stayed with Mobile Mini for 3 years, running the Mr Box division and overseeing the integration of Mr Box in to the wider business. In 2021, Sarah launched Secure Stores Nationwide, a container sales and hire business specialising in the self storage industry. The business has already experienced rapid growth and has a strong emphasis on quality products and top-notch customer service.

If you are interested in sponsoring our Sector Forums, please email Helen Bourke at [email protected] or call 01270 623150.