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: A framed certificate and £200 cash.

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

2022 winner: Fraser Hardie

The Tony Lager Award for 2022 is awarded to Fraser Hardie.

Fraser Hardie’s career in non-destructive testing (NDT) commenced with a three-month training course in ultrasonic testing (UT) at the Scottish School of NDT, in Paisley, in 1982. After a short stint in the NDT department at Yarrow Shipbuilders, he moved across the River Clyde to join Babcock Research Centre in 1984, remaining there until he retired in March this year.

Fraser was a member of Mike Farley’s advanced NDT team, initially developing and qualifying automated UT systems for the naval pressurised water reactors (PWRs) and for the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB)’s new civil PWR, Sizewell B.

He went on to lead NDT teams, annually performing advanced UT at the Atomic Energy Authority (AEA)’s Prototype Fast Reactor at Dounreay, UK, until its closure in 1994.

He continued to develop and prove specialised techniques for the remainder of his career, immersing himself in the NDT industry through BINDT, IIW (a working group on austenitic weld UT), the Programme for the Assessment of NDT in Industry (PANI), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), HOIS and many other forums.

Fraser has attended BINDT Branch meetings, seminars and conferences regularly throughout his career and has been an enthusiastic member of the Scottish Branch committee for around 30 years, serving as Secretary and Chairman along the way. He continues to participate and support BINDT in retirement.

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
2021    Pete Burrows MInstNDT

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

2022 winner: Early Careers Branch

The winner of the T H Cole Award for 2022 is the Early Careers Branch.

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
2021    North American Branch


Details of all Institute awards can be found here.