Branch Awards

Institute Awards 

The Institute presents the following Branch awards:
The Tony Lager Award


Award information

About the award: The Tony Lager Award was introduced in 1996 in honour of the late Tony Lager, who served the Institute for many years on head office and Branch committees, including Council. Tony passed away in July 1996. The award is for meritorious service to an Institute Branch by an individual.

Purpose: For meritorious service to an Institute Branch by an individual.

Details of the award: Framed certificate.

Eligibility: Any individual Institute member.

Nomination arrangements: Branches to nominate. Contributions to the Branch and other Institute activities should be described.

Committee:
MQ&E.


Winners

2021 winner: Pete Burrows MInstNDT

The Tony Lager Award for 2021 is awarded to Pete Burrows MInstNDT.

Pete Burrows started his non-destructive testing (NDT) career as an apprentice at Dowty Group in 1985, where he spent the last year of his apprenticeship specialising in NDT. This was a success for the NDT department as any courses booked were funded by the training school’s budget, which led to Pete gaining a Level 2 in magnetic particle inspection (MPI), penetrant testing (PT) and ultrasonic testing (UT) before he finished his ‘time’ in 1986, aged 20.

Pete then worked in NDT at various Dowty Group divisions, where he ended up as the Responsible Level 3 for the Propellers Division, leaving there to join Staveley NDT as a Sales Engineer in 1995. His time at Dowty Group was interspersed with a period running a water sports business in Spain for a couple of summers, as well as winter work for OIS Oceaneering at their Gloucester branch. Since finishing at Dowty Propellers, Pete has worked in NDT sales and applications roles at Staveley NDT, GE and Baugh & Weedon NDE, where he is currently the
Sales Director.

Pete first attended the West of England Branch of BINDT in 1993 and has continued to be an active member ever since, including a couple of periods as Chair and many years as the Programme Secretary. Highlights of this period have been the numerous visits to local NDT departments, other related topical trips and the more recent practical work on ‘Brunel’s Other Bridge’. The biggest success to come out of the Branch during this time has been the Aerospace NDT Symposium. Started by Geoff Millar, it continues to be a major aerospace NDT gathering for the UK and Pete has been active in organising this event since its inception.

The West of England Branch has evolved hugely over the 29 years that Pete has been involved and will hopefully continue to evolve positively for many more years to come, with Pete still an active member.

The Tony Lager award was originally established as a prize for the Institute Branch achieving the highest number of new members in the year. This criterion was altered after 2000; until then the winners of the award were:

1995    North West
1996    Solent
1997    London and Home Counties
1998    West of England/West Midlands
1999    South Wales/West of England
2000    South Wales 

Since then, the Award has been for meritorious service to an Institute Branch by an individual. The past winners are:

2002    Mr A Raine
2003    Mr P Stephens
2004    Mr J Pouncy
2012    Mr D Breeze and Mr B Webb
2013    Mr B Murray, Mr D Betts and Mr M R Dawson
2014    Mr B Shannon
2015    Mr A Hunscott
2019    Mr B Naylor
2020    Dr Mike Farley BSc PhD FInstNDT FInstEnergy

A nomination form can be downloaded here.





The T H Cole Award


Award information

About the award: Much of the collective strength of the Institute derives from Branch activity and Branches can be quite influential in demonstrating the value of Institute membership. In recognition of this, for some years the T H Cole Award has been presented annually to the Institute Branch with the best percentage increase in membership during the preceding year.

Purpose: For the Institute Branch with the best percentage increase in membership during the preceding year.

Details of award: Gavel and engraved block held for one year. Also a framed certificate. 

Eligibility: All Institute Branches automatically qualify. 

Nomination arrangements: Automatic.

Committee: MQ&E.


Winners

2021 winner: North American Branch

The winner of the T H Cole Award for 2021 is the North American Branch with a 13.04% increase in individual membership over the year.

Recent holders of the T H Cole Award are:

 

1980    South Wales
1981    East Anglia
1982    Yorkshire
1983    Yorkshire
1984    South Wales
1985    East Anglia
1986    East Anglia
1987    West of England
1988    East Midlands
1989    Scottish
1990    North East
1991    South Wales
1992    Plymouth
1993    North West
1994    Yorkshire
1995    Plymouth
1996    North East Scotland
1997    West of England
1998    Plymouth
1999    South Wales
2000    No Award
2001    North West
2002    North West
2003    Overseas
2004    East Midlands
2005    Scottish
2006    East Midlands
2007    East Anglia
2008    South Wales
2009    North East
2010    Yorkshire
2011    West of England
2012    North America
2013    South Wales
2014    North America
2015    North America
2016    West Midlands Branch

2017    No award

2018    North East Scottish
2019    North American Branch

2020    East Midlands Branch


Details of all Institute awards can be found here.