'A very successful year' for the BRE Trust. BRE Trust Annual General Meeting 2006. 'This has been a very successful year, not only in the quality and quantity of the Trust's research and education programmes, but also in the forging of successful partnerships on wide ranging public benefit research and education initiatives.' Sir Neville Simms, Chairman of the BRE Trust, speaking at the BRE Trust's AGM on 21 November 2006.

Highlights for 2006.

A major goal set at the Trust's AGM in 2005 - in addition to maintaining its programme of commissioned fixed-term research projects - was for the Trust to support a number of longer-term initiatives through partnerships and collaborations with other organisations.

'I am very pleased to report that all of these have been successfully brought to fruition,' said Sir Neville at this year's meeting.

They include: BRE- Universities Partnership.

The BRE-Universities Partnership has established Centres of Excellence in Fire Safety Engineering, Energy Utilisation Research, Sustainable building design and Innovative Construction Materials, at the Universities of Edinburgh, Strathclyde, Cardiff and Bath respectively.

The Partnership will enable BRE and the Centres of Excellence to jointly explore and exploit research opportunities and their applications in practice.

The Director of each Centre holds a Chair supported by the Trust, which also awards full time PhD studentships at the Centres.

NHBC Foundation.

The NHBC Foundation, a joint venture between the Trust and NHBC was launched.

The Foundation, chaired by the Rt.

Hon.

Nick Raynsford MP, will formulate and sponsor a research programme (initially for three years, with an annual budget of not less than half a million pounds) to produce practical assistance in the urgent task of sustainably overcoming the UK's housing shortages.

Schools Design Forum.

The Schools Design Forum (SDF) an initiative by the BRE Trust and the sustainable development Commission, will work to improve the way sustainability is delivered, both in terms of how schools are designed and constructed, and in the way they engage with pupils and their local communities to promote truly sustainable communities of the future.

Managed research and education programmes.

In addition to its support of long-term collaborative initiatives, the Trust provided funding of nearly a million pounds for its managed research and education programmes.

'With 17 new research projects (making a total of 40 active projects in the year) and five new postgraduate awards, the research and education programmes continue to maintain a very strong momentum,' said Sir Neville Simms.

Financial report Key points from the BRE Trust Financial Statements for 2005/06, presented to the AGM, included:.

* BRE and BRE Certification, the Trust's principal assets, continued to gain strength through developing new markets whilst improving their financial performance.

* The amount of gift-aid passed to the Trust from the subsidiary companies was GBP1,369,000 - a slight fall from the previous year that was more than offset by additional income to the NHBC Foundation, an integral part of the Trust.

* Expenditure on managed research and education programmes was GBP914,000 - a slight drop on last year as a result of the phasing in of Trust-supported PhD studentships and Chairs at the four universities in the BRE-Universities Partnership.

* The Trust's reserves stand at a little over GBP6 million, which the Trustees view as reasonable to meet its future commitments and expand the research and education programmes in future years.