I have engaged with the IMechE since I first moved to Hull to study my Masters in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Hull back in 2007. Even as an undergraduate student at the time I was amazed how welcoming the local committee was and I still to this day have very fond memories of my first technical visit, during which I had the pleasure of attending (for free!) a committee organised technical lecture (with refreshments!) on the famous Hull Tidal Barrier, after which we had the honour of a tour of the inner workings! Many more engaging lectures, visits and conversations with likeminded engineers ensued, and before long I felt inherently driven to contribute myself to the creation of similar opportunities for the benefit of others.
This led to me joining the East Yorkshire Area Committee formally in 2010 as a Young Member Representative, ensuring the voice of other young engineers was present within member proceedings, and that opportunities were disseminated amongst a broad demographic of engineers within the area. The following year momentum was gathering within the Young Member community in the area, so much so that we were able to establish a Young Members Committee, which I proudly chaired for 5 years, and am honoured to see it continue to flourish to this day.
The combined efforts of our local Young Members and Area Committee volunteers made possible some commendable achievements over the subsequent years - to name but a few: the establishment of an IMechE Formula Student team at the University of Hull; the revival of the IMechE Speak Out for Engineering competition and formation of a Yorkshire Regional Final; launch of a novel annual Summer Social raft race event; the co-hosting of a successful Presidential Visit; and numerous engaging events and activities.
When I took on a lecturing position at the University of Hull in 2016, it was then time to hand over the reins for the Young Members committee, and take on the role of Academic Liaison Officer within the Area Committee, from where I had the pleasure of continuing to support the Young Member community, through maintaining strong strategic links with our Region’s academic institutions. Our local University of Hull in particular, is a central pillar of civic support for our area activities, and continues to play a pivotal role in enabling the fulfilment of the IMechE’s strategic goals, supporting us to maximise the impact of our members to promote engineering, inform opinion & stimulate innovation for the benefit of society.
My vision as Chair of the Eastern Area and Regional Education Officer is to maximise the impact of our past achievements for the benefit of society, to develop, register & support all engineers and technicians to be at their best to achieve a safer and more sustainable world, and ultimately to do what we can at a local level to support the Institution’s mission of “Improving the World Through Engineering”.
To help us achieve this goal we rely on our invaluable volunteer community, which is as diverse and inclusive as the range of events and opportunities we strive to enable. Irrespective of whether you are a professionally registered engineer or not, aspirational or even just inquisitive, you are more than welcome to attend any of our committee meetings, technical visits, lectures and events. A list of our confirmed upcoming events is available below, as is the contact details for myself and our committee members. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch and I welcome the opportunity to see you at one of our future events.
Best Regards
Brian Houston MEng AMIMechE
Chair, East Yorkshire Area Committee
Yorkshire Region
E: brian.houston@member.imeche.org
Improving the world through engineering
Current and Future Events
Please click the event heading for further information.
Looking for an event nearby? If there are no events indicated contact your local representative to exchange your ideas for forthcoming activity.