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How the Institute of Corrosion operates – the role of the Trustee
As stated in the previous issue, the Institute of Corrosion (ICorr) is a charitable institution, dedicated to putting its members at the heart of the global corrosion prevention community and ensuring that all that is done in its name is aligned to its core values of:
• Competency and good leadership.
• Education and innovation.
• Inclusivity and diversity.
• Trust and respect.
• Worldwide participation.
As per the Charities Commission designation – Charity No. 275206, the principal aim of the Institute is to advance the understanding of the science, technology and engineering practice of corrosion control, and to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas for the public benefit. To assist in this goal, ICorr is very fortunate to have many volunteers serving its branches, divisions and committees. The organisational structure is the framework that enables this, and in which many talented and hard-working corrosion professionals help us to
achieve our goals.
The Trustees of the Institute of Corrosion
There are five trustees, and these form the ‘committee’ that oversees the routine running of the Institute between Council meetings. These trustees, who are also directors of ICorr, meet monthly and report back quarterly to Council, which is similar in operation to the Board of Directors of a large company. Neither the Trustees or Council members are paid. The Trustees presently are the following Institute members:
• The President – Dr Bill Hedges, (Appointed: 2019).
• The Vice President – Stephen Tate, (Appointed: 2020).
• The Immediate Past President –
Dr Gareth Hinds, (Appointed: 2016).
• The Honorary Secretary –
Dr Jane Lomas, (Appointed: 2011).
Records and provides continuity and guidance to the administrative proceedings of Trustees.
• The Honorary Treasurer – Dr Anthony (Tony) Collins, (Appointed:1994).
Advises and provides continuity and guidance to the financial proceedings of Trustees.
Becoming a Trustee
There are no defined qualifications to join a charity board, but the most important attribute is passion and willingness to give freely of one’s time, to help others.
Charity law gives trustees a legal responsibility for a given charity. To support this, trustees also have specific duties, which are set out by the Charity Commission and show how trustees should govern their charity and conduct themselves. The main duty of all trustees is to advance the purposes of their charity. This should always be a trustee’s main focus. A trustee must carry out their charity’s purposes for public benefit. This is called ‘the public benefit requirement.’
Trustees’ duties are set out in the Charity Commission guidance on the Essential Trustee (CC3). Reading and understanding this guidance is important for all trustees.
Term of Office
Being a Trustee is a long-term commitment, and in the case of ICorr is typically for a minimum period of 6 years, supporting the President in all key decision-making processes for matters requiring urgent attention. These may include, audits and standards, bursaries and sponsorships, charity commission returns, dispute resolution, growth and sustainability, long-term investments, and personnel changes and HR issues.
Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees
The directors of the Institute are also Trustees for the purposes of charity law and, under the Articles of Association, act as the Executive Management Committee.
Trustees, as members of the management committee, are required to have a broad skills base, and suitable persons (normally working in the field of corrosion) are drawn from industry, private consultancy and academia.
Vacancies are generally filled by approaching individuals who are thought to offer particular skills and/or who are able to maintain the balance of skills available to the management committee. Experience sitting on ICorr Council is obviously beneficial but is not a pre-requisite.
Responsibilities
There are many ongoing responsibilities during a Trustee’s term of office, the key ones being to ensure that:
• All resources are managed responsibly without waste.
• The Charity performs in the best interests of its members and the public at large.
• The Charity remains fully accountable and transparent.
• The operation of the Charity complies with the law, at all times.
• The Trustees act in the Charity’s best interests.
• Trustees act with good care and skill.
A risk register has been established and is updated at least annually and systems or procedures have been established to mitigate identified risks.
The Trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. Each year, under the direction of the incumbent President, the Trustees produce an
annual report.
Under the Companies Act 2006, the Trustees are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company.
The Trustees are also required to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charitable company as at the balance sheet date, and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure, for the financial year.
In preparing those financial statements, the management committee must follow best practice and:
1. Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently.
2. Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
3. Prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis.
Trustee Induction and Training
Most Trustees will already be familiar with the operation of the Institute from prior service in a local or regional branch, division or committee. However, after their appointment, new Trustees are given a brief familiarisation session by the current President that is intended to cover:
• Future plans and objectives of the Institute.
• Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Institute:
• Obligations on Trustees in law and as members of the management committee:
• The current financial position as set out in the latest published accounts.
The work of a Trustee is ongoing, sometimes complex but also varied. It is rewarding for the individual concerned, not in a monetary sense, but in knowing that they have helped secure the long-term future of the Institute.
North East Branch
The branch has arranged a technical talk in December, to be held in the IMME offices in Newcastle, from Ing. Britt Gevaert, Acotec, Belgium, on their Humidur® brand of Passive Fire Protection coatings.
The branch is also organising a two day “Sustainability Conference “in 2023, in collaboration with IMME.
Continuing with the introduction of the committee members of the newly reformed branch announced in the last issue.
Treasurer: Josie Terri Watson, is a Project engineer at Metec Cathodic Protection. She works in the technical department generating engineering documents such as manufacturing drawings and inspection test plans. She will be a great asset to the Committee and demonstrates the wide span in experience to the branch. Josie hopes to raise awareness with the youth and female members, and she will be the Young ICorr.
Events: Matt Fletcher is currently Global Linings Product Manager at International Paint. In addition to his masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from Newcastle University he is Diplom-Ingenieur (FH), SSPC Concrete Coatings Inspector Level 2, and has a Professional Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Patrick Johnson is currently Technical Marketing Manager with Carboline Europe and has extensive experience in the coatings industry R&D, business development, sales management and marketing.
Secretary: Chris Langley has been working in the Coatings industry for 35 Years, and most of his career has been in the energy sector and chemical industry, focussed on corrosion inspection, and project managing fabric maintenance projects. He is currently a Field Consultant with the Safinah-Group, working in the energy and offshore sectors.
Barry Turner has also joined the committee. He is a very experience technical, sales and marketing professional with almost 40 years experience in industrial coatings. He is a recognised expert in pipe coatings and sits as a representative of the UK on ISO standards development groups for pipe line coatings, and is now working as an independent consultant.
How the Institute of Corrosion operates
Members often ask what the organisational structure of the Institute is, and to answer this, a series of articles has been planned, starting with an overview of the Institute’s structure.
The Institute of Corrosion is a not-for-profit organisation, dedicated to putting its members at the heart of the global corrosion prevention community and ensuring that all that is done is aligned to its core values:
• Trust and respect
• Experts and leaders in the field
• Innovative and forward-thinking
• Supportive and inclusive
The organisational structure is the framework that enables this, and in which many talented and hard-working corrosion professionals help us to achieve our goals. The Head Office, Corrosion House, is where all the admin work is conducted, and is located in Northampton, where the staff of three work tirelessly to ensure the smooth running of ICorr.
The Council of the Institute of Corrosion
The Council is like the Board of Directors of a large company. It is the Institute’s highest decision-making body, and every branch, division, and committee, reports to the Council, which is made up of the following members:
• The five trustees/directors
• Branch and division chairs
• Committee chairs
• The chair of Young ICorr
• The technical Editor of Corrosion Management magazine
• Various co-opted members
The Trustees of the Institute of Corrosion
There are five trustees, and these form the ‘committee’ that oversees the routine running of the Institute between Council meetings. The trustees are the following Institute members:
• The President
• The Vice President
• The Immediate Past President
• The Honorary Secretary
• The Honorary Treasurer
Beneath the Council, the structure allows information and operations to flow freely in all directions.
The Branches of the Institute of Corrosion
The six regional branches let us reach deep into the heart of the corrosion community in the UK:
• Aberdeen
• London
• Midlands
• Northeast
• Northwest
• Yorkshire
The work they do, and the networking opportunities they present to our members is vital. The branches have a great deal of autonomy, and run various events, including technical meetings/webinars, workshops, and social events.
Every event within the branches is a networking opportunity, and a chance for members to learn and share ideas, experience, and best practices.
The Two Divisions of the Institute of Corrosion
The two divisions stretch across every part of ICorr.
The Corrosion Engineering Division (CED)
The CED is made up of five working groups which look at specific aspects of our industry. The CED also runs an annual Working Day and Symposium. These Working Groups are:
• Nuclear Corrosion
• Coatings
• Cathodic Protection
• All Energy
• Corrosion in Concrete
The Corrosion Science Division (CSD)
This division consists of representatives from the corrosion research community – primarily academia and research – and runs the annual Corrosion Science Symposium.
Young ICorr
While the experience of senior corrosion professionals is crucial to our industry and to the Institute, equally important are the younger engineers and scientists who are entering and progressing in their careers in corrosion control.
Young ICorr is a vibrant and forward-looking group, through which many initiatives and early-career networks are formed, and from which the corrosion industry leaders of tomorrow will develop.
The Committees of the Institute of Corrosion
Finally, to the committees – without which the Institute could not function effectively. This is where much of the day-to-day work is managed. These teams meet when needed, collaborate with other teams, and ensure that actions agreed are carried out.
The Awards Committee
Responsible for overseeing the portfolio of ICorr awards, and for the nomination of members for external awards. The recognition of excellence both internally and externally helps us to demonstrate the authority with which the Institute operates and the professionalism, knowledge, and expertise of our members.
The Building Management Committee
This committee is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of our Head Office, Corrosion House. They may not get their hands dirty with building work, but without them we might not have a home!
The Course Approval Board
The education of the corrosion community, at whatever stage of their individual careers, is crucial to the future of our industry, and, indeed, the future of our world. The Course Approval Board is responsible for approving new courses proposed by the Professional Development & Training Committee.
The Professional Development & Training Committee (PDTC)
PDTC is responsible for one of our most important strategies – the development and upgrade of training courses offered by the Institute. To achieve this, PDTC has two sub-committees:
• The Cathodic Protection Governing Board (CPGB), responsible for cathodic protection courses
• The Surface Treatment Governing Board (STGB), responsible for surface treatment courses
The Digital Strategy Committee
In our digital world, it is easier to connect, build networks, and share expertise than ever before. However, to do this effectively, it is essential to develop and follow a strategy that aligns with the goals of the Institute. This is the remit of the Digital Strategy Committee.
The Membership Development Committee
The real strength of the Institute lies in its membership. The broader and deeper our membership is, the more we can offer and provide to them and the global corrosion community.
The Membership Development Committee is responsible for initiatives to increase our membership and highlight the benefits for members.
The Professional Assessment Committee (PAC)
While the Membership Development Committee is responsible for driving up membership applications, it is the PAC that handles membership and upgrade applications.
Correx Limited
Although the Institute is a not-for-profit organisation, our commercial activities are key to the present and future sustainability. However, it is also crucial that the operation of these is kept at arm’s length to satisfy the requirements of the Charity Commission. To ensure this is the case, we registered Correx Limited in 2003 (the name was derived from “Corrosion” and “Exhibitions”). Correx organises all of our commercial activities, and especially the administration of ICATS (Industrial Coating Applicators Training Scheme), which is mandated by the Highways Agency and Network Rail for all coating applicators – and it is also a requirement for many other major structure owners including Oil Companies, Power Generators, and Infrastructure Owners.
It is intended to explore each element of the organisation structure of ICorr in more detail in future articles, to help our members and the wider corrosion community to have a greater understanding of all parts of the Institute and the tremendous amount of work that goes on behind the scenes. If you’re interested in getting involved in any of these activities, please get in touch with us.
