A Brief History of the NI in the Cumbria Region

NI Cumbria Branch was established as a regional branch in January 2005 superseding the former NI (BNES) Special Interest Group (SIG) on Waste Management and Decommissioning. The SIG was founded as a result of a survey of membership of NI (BNES )in 1994 which showed that a very high proportion of members in the area identified Decommissioning as a topic of interest. However, with the formation of a regional branch, we have extended the scope to represent the wider interests in nuclear energy in the Cumbria region. At the AGM in July 2005, NI (BNES) Cumbria Branch formed an alliance with the Institution of Nuclear Engineers to provide learned society activity in the Cumbria region and around Chapelcross.

Objectives

The general objective of the NI Cumbria Branch is to enable people and organisations to benefit from or participate in NI events locally. Specifically, our objectives are:
  • To offer an open forum in which people can meet and discuss issues surrounding the industry at a professional level
  • Facilitating contacts and the exchange of ideas
  • Arranging meetings at which issues may be debated or papers may be read and discussed
  • Collaborating with other organisations that have similar interests to the Cumbria branch
  • Generating funds by organising events and encouraging membership of NI
  • Using funds generated locally and granted by NI to support an annual free-of-charge lecture programme that is open to the public, to provide opportunities for educational and CPD purposes and to offer grants and prizes especially for younger people at school
  • To maximise the opportunities for younger persons through support to the NI Young Generation Network (YGN)

About the Nuclear Institute

The Nuclear Institute was created on the 1st January 2009 from the merger of the British Nuclear Energy Society and the Institution of Nuclear Engineers who between them have been serving the industry from the late 1950's, not long after the industry first came into being. The Nuclear Institute itself is a charity and is formed of a professional institute and a learned society. This enables it to deal with a diverse range of external stakeholders, Governmental, industrial, environmental and ecological to mention just a few. The Institute is also able to offer a range of memberships at both a professional level, for those seeking registration with the Engineering Council for example, to the layperson with an interest in nuclear matters.

The Nuclear Institute publishes it journal, Nuclear Future, every two months and it contains news and information about the industry as well as a number of high quality technical articles. Also the Institute organises a number of events each year both nationally and at a branch level. These events cover a diverse range of topics across the whole of the nuclear industry.

Governance

The Nuclear Institute has its own memorandum and articles of association as well as a comprehensive set of bye-laws which govern how the charity operates. The Board of Trustees retain the ultimate executive power and meet five times a year at general meetings to discharge their responsibilities and the business of the Institute. They are supported in this work by a number of expert committees, which contain both members and non-members, each of which focuses on a key operational area.

NI Regional Organisation

Although the NI is a national organisation, its strength lies in its Regional Branches. The Branches have their own Committees with their own Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. The Branches are very proactive in meeting their members' needs, with a whole range of events being organised on a rolling basis. They also have very strong links with the NiA and other nuclear industry bodies, having many collaborative events together.

Wherever possible, the branches are expected to be autonomous and self-funding although the centre does assist some initiatives e.g. emerging branches. Nevertheless, there is a clear need for the NI to act as a unified organisation, yet still satisfy its local customers. The current regional branches are shown on the NI website under "Branches".
The Nuclear Institute Executive Secretary is situated at:

The Nuclear Institute,
Allan
House,
1 Penerley Road,
London.
SE6 2LQ
T:020 8695 8222
F:020 8695 8229

Secretary: Mark Askew