A message from Ruth Shilston, Chair of the Young Members Board
In this edition of the Young Members Newsletter Ruth Shilston talks about the upcoming Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering and the new appointments to the Trustee Board. 
Welcome to the third young member newsletter in 2014. In the past two newsletters, I urged you to stand, urged you to vote and now I get to tell about who was elected in the IMechE elections. Two young members were successfully elected, Claire Malpas who is the under 30 representative on the Trustee board and Gavin Kerby who has been elected to Council. As well as the young member's board executive team, they will represent young member interests within the governance of the IMechE. I would like to thank everyone who voted, and wish both Claire and Gavin good luck for their three year terms.
The other thing that I would like to talk about is the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. The Queen Elizabeth Prize is a global £1 million prize that celebrates the engineers responsible for a ground-breaking innovation that has been of global benefit to humanity. The objective of
the QEPrize is to raise the public profile of engineering and to inspire young people to become engineers. The inaugural prize in 2013 was given to the team who invented the internet.
I, along with a number of young member representatives from the IMechE and other institutions, attended a workshop to feed ideas into the search process. We focused on the engineering feats which have allowed the world to enjoy clean water, cheap energy and the role that advanced computational simulation tools play in our ability to design and optimise solutions to problems. If you have any suggestions then you have until 14th July to
make your nomination.
For those of you aged 17 - 24, there is an additional way to get involved. There is a competition to create the
trophy for the 2015 prize. The winner will receive £2000.
Best Wishes,
Ruth
Formula Student 2014
Peter Bonnington, Vice Chair of the Young Members Board (YMB) asks: how would you like to contribute to completing one of the YMBs 2014 objectives whilst soaking up some motorsport at (hopefully) sunny Silverstone?
This year we have again committed to supporting the IMechE's education team, this time at a regional Big Bang event that is being run alongside the main Formula Student event on Friday 11th July at the Silverstone GP circuit. This event will be attended by approximately 460 local school students and is a follow on the success of the 'Formula Student Schools Academy' that was supported by the YMB last year.
The activities will be at the Silverstone UTC which is the new technical college built opposite the old pit complex. The students will be split into two groups, with one half spending the morning at the Paddocks and the other at the UTC. They will then swap over at lunchtime. The ambassadors can stick with their allocated groups as they will experience all activities that way, or if some prefer, they can do either the Paddocks or Bloodhound balloon cars only.
Please see here for further details on the Big Bang at Silverstone should you be interested.
Feedback from the volunteers last year was very positive and as the first event on the Formula Student calendar, the Silverstone round always proves interesting!
I hope to see some of you there!
Giants of Steam: IMechE Visit technical to Kew Bridge Steam Museum
Owen Humphryes, Vice Chairman for Surrey and Sussex Young Members Panel, talks about a trip to the Kew Bridge Steam Museum, ‘the Great Stink’ and a ride on a steam engine.
On 26th April 2014 the Surrey and Sussex Young Members Panel organised an IMechE technical visit to the Kew Bridge Steam Museum located in Brentford, near the River Thames in West London. The event was organised and hosted by Owen Humphreys, the Vice Chairman for the panel and the trip gave fourteen attendees (both IMechE and non-ImechE members) a chance to visit and learn about an old Victorian engineering gem located in the heart of a modern day city.
Victorian London life was far from easy or pleasant in the mid 19th Century. Poverty, poor sanitation, dirty conditions and Cholera epidemics constantly ravaged the capital. Events such as “The Great Stink” in July 1858 were just one of the horrors London was facing at this time. However, what shines out like a beacon from this period in time is the engineering marvel that was developed back then. A time where steal, iron, oil, bricks and coal were used on a massive scale, almost unimaginable compared to today’s standards. The industrial revolution laid down the first building blocks for the engineering capabilities that are present today. Kew Bridge Steam Museum is a fine example of engineering from this period and played an important role in pumping London’s drinking water around the city for nearly 100 years.
The museum is housed in an old Victorian waterworks that was built in 1838 and has a 200ft
standpipetower standing tall above the surrounding building. The museum contains a brilliant display of steam power unlike anywhere else in Britain. It houses a variety of Cornish Pumping Engines, Rotationary Engines and Diesel Engines, which are still working to this day. Engines present on the site include the Bolton & Watt, the Bull and Maudslay Engines, the Allen Diesel Engine and the 90-inch and 100-inch Engines. The site consists of both Grade I and II listed buildings. The tower, the Great Engine House (housing the 90 & 100-inch Engines) and the original Engine House (containing the Bolton & Watt and other Cornish engines) are all contained in a Grade I listed building. The main boiler house and main steam hall containing the Rotationary engines is a Grade II listed building.
Attendees had a detailed tour of the site and witnessed a variety of engines in action. The working engines fill the museum with a constant drone of wheezing, hissing, clanging and thumping as you tour round the site. The air is filled with the strong smell of oil and grease as each engine roars into action.The attendees learnt about the civil engineering involved in constructing the Kew Bridge waterworks and the principle of how each engine worked. This included how the overall pumping system operated, how to control the valve system and the purpose of the sump, the condenser and the main pumping beam. They also learnt about the precision engineering involved in designing and building such metal behemoths in the Victorian age, such as overcoming alignment issues, the tools and equipment that were used, how they assembled each engine together and the health and safety risks involved. The highlight of the visit was a detailed tour around the massive Grand Junction 90 and 100-inch engines, which are the two largest single cylinder steam driven pumping engines in the world. These two iconic engines weigh over 250 tonnes each and are over 40ft high, occupy three stories of the Grade I listed building. Charles Dickens himself when visiting the waterworks in the 1800’s described the working 90-inch engine as a “monster”. The 90-inch still steams regularly to this day but the 100-inch unfortunately hasn’t worked since 1946 due to a crack in its main beam. The attendees on this event even got to see the crack that caused such a giant machine to stop running.
Other areas visited on the trip included the diesel engine house, the engineering workshop where there was a fully working forge, the Victorian belt driven workshop the Hindley waterwheel, and a visit into the main boiler house. Last, but not least, there was a ride on the sites own personal steam train, which is nicknamed “Cloister”. The trip was very successful with good feedback from all of the attendees who found the experience most enjoyable.
Follow the link for how to apply for the
James Bates grant should you be interested.
Edinburgh & South-East Scotland Young Members Panel visit to Rolls Royce & Alton Towers
On the 28th and 29th April 2014, 15 members went on a trip to the Rolls Royce Global headquarters and the Alton Towers theme park to learn about the history and technology, half of which was funded by the James Bates Grant. Read about their experience below.
As part of our annual itinerary of events, the Edinburgh YMP wanted to arrange a trip outside of the Scottish region, which would capture the imagination of developing Engineers and would be a significant event not normally possible due to cost.
We decided to arrange a trip to take 15 of our members to the Rolls Royce global headquarters in Derby, and the Alton Towers theme park in Staffordshire. A successful James Bates Grant application was made by the YMP, which covered half the cost of the trip.
Our primary objectives were:
● to allow our area members to visit and gain awareness of Engineering companies, sites and topics not normally possible in the Edinburgh area
● to increase participation & networking with other IMechE Young Members’ Panels & Regions
The trip consisted of the following:
● tour of Rolls Royce visitors centre & heritage museum, learning about its history and products
● tour of Rolls Royce technology centre, which showcased their product applications, manufacturing developments and processes
● gallery view of engine production line
● presentation of the Alton Towers theme park history & business
● presentation on the planning, commissioning and advertising of a new theme park ride
● presentation on rollercoaster design considerations, technical issues and Health & Safety requirements
The event was organised by the Edinburgh YMP, with input from the Derby YMP in arranging the Rolls Royce tours and advertising the Alton Towers presentations to their members, of which 19 Members attended.
The event was considered a success by the YMP and also by the attendees. Below is a selection of testimonials/ feedback provided by attendees after the event:
“The trip as a whole was hugely interesting, as well as a lot of fun, and I would definitely recommend similar events to others in the future as I feel it was definitely a beneficial experience. I would like to thanks the IMechE as this opportunity wouldn’t have been available without the help of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland Young Members Panel”
Matthew Calder
“The Rolls-Royce heritage centre gave me a real appreciation for the continuous development that Rolls-Royce pursue. In particular the new high-pressure compressor bladed-disk technology used on the XWB was impressive. I also found it interesting how the turbine blades are manufactured from one crystal with internal cooling passages. This trip was a great opportunity to extend my engineering knowledge and meet other like-minded people from the Derby IMechE Young Members“
Rory McFarlane
“The visit to Alton Towers provided an excellent opportunity to not only learn about the ins and outs of rollercoaster design and marketing, but also to meet with young members in the Derby area. Rollercoaster design and development is an engineering sector that does not spring to mind immediately when thinking about future employment. However, this trip has given me an insight into this aspect of engineering and I very eager to find out more information on what appears to be an exciting sector.”
Euan Wheeler
2014 Young Member of the Year Awards
Marcus Nicholls, Vice Chair of the Young Members Board, highlights the five categories of the awards and encourages you to vote when nominations open in mid- July.
In July we look forward to the launch of the 2014 Young Member of the Year Awards. The Awards serve to recognise the incredible achievements of our Young Member Volunteers over the past year.
Nominations will open on 17th July and will be open for one month. Ensure you enter your nomination if you know of a deserving volunteer within your committee, employer or region.
This year the awards will recognise five outstanding volunteers in the following categories:
Engineering Outreach: Awarded to the volunteer who has excelled in actively promoting engineering and the institution to the membership, prospective members, the general public, local, national and international governments, or across other industries.
Inspiring the Next Generation: Awarded to the young member who stands out for their involvement in actively promoting engineering to school age children through participation in engineering outreach programmes, and setting up or attending events aimed at exploring and/or promoting engineering as a career option.
Engineering Innovation: This award recognises new technologies or processes that have been developed and tested/piloted successfully by a young member (individual or as part of a team), which aim to improve the quality of life through Engineering Innovations.
Talent Development: Awarded to recognise the efforts of an individual who has gone out of their way to support one or more Young Members in their development as an engineer. The nominee may be a scheme mentor, project leader, supportive committee member or other supportive volunteer.
Young Member of the Year: The overall Young Member of the Year 2014 will have encompassed qualities from a number of the above categories.
The Young Member of the Year will be presented their award at the Vision Awards. The top prize also includes attendance at the Essential Management Skills conference in April 2015 and at the UK or Regional Annual dinner.
The awards are open to all Young Members across our national and international regions. Further details will be released via email and social media once the nominations open. Please submit any questions about the awards to the
Young Members contact at the IMechE.
New Meeting Room Facilities
New Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) Meeting room facilities for IMechE members
The IMechE has reached an agreement to allow members to use IET member’s areas in their Teacher Building Glasgow, and Austin Court Birmingham with immediate effect.
Member’s areas will be open from 9am till 5pm, excluding weekends and bank holidays. If you wish to use these please note the term & conditions of use. Bookings should be made at least one day in advance.
Please note the Teacher Building will not be available during the Commonwealth Games i.e. 18th July to 6th August inclusive.
For bookings at IET Birmingham: Austin Court please contact Jackie Scriven, or call 0121 600 7500.
IET Glasgow: Teacher Building please contact any team member or call 0141 566 1871.
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities
Royal Institution Engineering Masterclass Speaker
Do you want to work with top-tier secondary school students to pass on your passion for engineering? Do you recognise the opportunity to expand your presentation skills, and general levels of confidence while being supported by an expert team? If so, we’d love to add you to our team of Masterclass presenters.
What are Royal Institution Engineering Masterclasses?
Royal Institution (Ri) Engineering Masterclasses are run throughout the UK for select groups of students (secondary school, year 9) who are talented in STEM subjects. The students attend six Saturday morning Masterclasses, seeing a different speaker each week.
We aim to ignite a long-term interest in engineering in the students, and encourage them to continue their study of non-combined STEM subjects at school.
To achieve this, we recruit and train committed engineers from academia and industry to deliver the workshops. The sessions we are currently recruiting for will be delivered in London and the North East of England. Training will start as soon as possible for autumn Masterclasses.
What does a Royal Institution Masterclass Speaker Actually Do?
When you fist come on board, you will need to spend time developing your Masterclass. We would then expect you to deliver it around 2-3 times per year, for 2.5 hours on Saturday mornings. In addition, there may be opportunities to get involved with special events run at the Royal Institution in London throughout the year.
The Ri Masterclass team would work closely with you as you develop your workshop, since each workshop would be delivered to up to thirty children at a time. We would help you to ensure the level of theory is pitched correctly and develop your project ideas (we know what works and what doesn’t, and we can help with equipment, etc). We can also arrange visits to other Masterclasses and school STEM clubs, as and when your training requires.
Please note that not all volunteers who express an interest in this role can will be automatically accepted to take part, since the Ri expect a high standard of engagement with the students during each Masterclass. If you prefer, you would have the option of volunteering as a Masterclass helper as an initial first step to becoming a speaker. Helpers get involved to support the speaker during the practical element of the session.
Why Get Involved?
The Royal Institution is a prestigious organisation to volunteer for. The enrichment work you do for us can lead to a better understanding of how to communicate your subject to the general public and an increased level of confidence. It is a fantastic opportunity to gain CPD experience beyond your own organisation.
This is also a unique opportunity to promote engineering and engage with the most gifted and talented STEM students in the country. The Ri will also reimburse all travel costs associated with undertaking this opportunity and will even pay for any materials and consumables needed to deliver the Masterclasses, should these be required.
For more information, please contact: Rachel Dorris, Engineering Masterclass Coordinator, call 020 7670 2965 or visit the website on www.rigb.org
Talent 2030 Mentors
Talent 2030 National Engineering Competition for Girls are looking for Mentors for the finalists of lasts year’s competition. Ideally, they would like to match mentors based on both subject interest and geographical location. 
Please see below for a list of competition entrants still to be matched with a mentor, and for further details about mentoring and how to get involved.
Subject and location
11-14 age category:
- Water security and desalination, London
- Climate change and carbon reduction, Oxford
15-18 age category:
- Renewable and non-renewable energy, Preston
- Medical solutions for people with disabilities using smart materials, Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire
- Renewable energy and solar panels, Southampton
Last year one of the prizes for the winners and runner-ups of the two age categories was a female engineering mentor so that engagement with these enthusiastic girls can continue beyond the end of the competition. Have a look at their amazing
entries.
We are asking that all mentors are STEM Ambassadors as this ensures that you have had a DBS (previously CRB) check. If you are not registered, this is something I would highly recommend anyway if you are interested in working with schools to promote engineering – have a look at http://www.stemnet.org.uk/ambassadors/.
If you are STEM registered and interested in mentoring one of the girls please contact
Rosie Marshall.
Mentoring with Arkwright Scholarships Trust
The Arkwright Scholarships Trust identifies and nurtures future leaders in engineering and related areas of design. Arkwright invites STEM Ambassadors to support and guide an outstanding, engineering-minded 16 to18 year old during a critical time in their education.
‘Mentoring’ can take many forms – Arkwright Scholars would welcome advice through e-mail, Skype or occasional telephone calls as much as regular face-to-face meetings. Scholars would value answers to general questions such as “What is it like to study at university?” as much as they would value detailed technical insights. Every Scholar, and every potential mentor, is different. Arkwright is flexible about the form that any individual mentoring relationship takes.
What are the benefits to you?
• Enhancing your mentoring skills in a way that suits you best
• Helping to guide a young engineer or designer on their way to a successful career
• Identifying potential future applicants for your employer
• Demonstrates key attributes required for chartership
Arkwright would like to identify potential new mentors in the next few months. They are particularly interested in potential mentors who have already graduated from university, particularly Aerospace and Automotive Engineers, though Engineers from all backgrounds are welcome to apply.
If you are interested in exploring this further, without commitment, then please contact the
Arkwright team. STEM Volunteering Opportunities
As the end of the summer term approaches we have a few final STEM Ambassador requests to fill.
Please find below some of the volunteering opportunities for North London during July.
There are a number of different ways you can support local schools, including: attending Big Bang Fairs, helping run workshops and enterprise days and offering invaluable careers support to young people. You can keep checking STEM Networking for more opportunities.
STEM Volunteering Opportunities
15th July, 10am- 5pm Westminster Academy, W2 5EZ Big Bang @ Schools
The school are running a Science Fair for their pupils, local primary schools and parents and are seeking STEM Ambassadors to support the event in a variety of ways:
- Judges of student science projects
- Ambassadors to talk about their careers
- Ambassadors to run exciting hands-on demonstrations
The school would love to hear from any Ambassadors who would like to get involved with this exciting event.
All STEM Ambassador expertise is welcomed
16th July, 9.30am- 3pm Fortismere School, N10 1NE IoP Concert Activity
Two schools, Alexandra Park and Fortismere, are running a joint IoP designed event to encourage more students, especially girls, to consider careers relating to physics.
They are looking for engineers to support this event (part or full day would be welcomed) and to help students discover the real world application of physics. Ambassadors will be given specific roles to assist with and supported by teachers on the day.
Further activity details can be found on the website.
Physics and/or engineering
18th July, 8am- 3.35pm London Academy, HA8 8DE Enterprise Day
The school are running an event that enables students to complete a fun hands-on science activity by designing their own soap. By the end of this event 1 team will be crowned the winners and their prize will be to have their soap actually manufactured so that they can sell it at profit. It is a tangible reward and something that the teams get very competitive about. STEM Ambassadors will be assigned a team to support and work closely with another volunteer and a teacher with additional input from the organisers.