Abstract
One element of work of UK construction professional institutions is to meet the needs of members. Local branches provide continuing professional development (CPD) and social events. CPD is increasingly important to business. Professional institutions have a responsibility to ensure that income is spent prudently. Some members are critical of the work of professional institutions, and question whether they get good value from subscriptions. A postal survey is undertaken of members of the Chartered Institute of Building in the Greater Manchester area. It aims to determine whether member needs are being met and to identify any areas where better service is possible. The sample size was 1 600 people, and 162 replies were received. The paper will report on statistical data, and use qualitative responses to give an insight into how members view their professional institutions. This work will be useful to construction professionals who are active in their institutions.