THE winners of this year’s Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Scotland Awards have been announced at a ceremony in Glasgow.
The event took place as part of the ICE Scotland Glasgow and West of Scotland Branch Annual dinner, hosted by actress and comedian Elaine C Smith.
Sandra Purves, retired, received the ICE Scotland Outstanding Contribution Award for the many years she has served as a member of both the ICE Scotland Committee and the Panel for Historical Engineering Works (PHEW).
Sandra said, “I have been interested for many years in how civil engineering has evolved and how it has helped improve people’s lives. Involvement with PHEW for over 40 years has been a great way of developing this interest. Understanding our engineering heritage is important as much of the role of the civil engineer today is looking after and maintaining these assets whilst respecting their history. I am honoured that ICE Scotland feels that my work for PHEW over the years is worthy of this award.”
Susan Francombe, independent consultant at the Building of Business, was named ICE Scotland Diversity & Inclusion Champion, for her depth and breadth of activity leading to tangible changes in the workplace.
Susan commented, “I am honoured to receive this award – a testament to the collective effort we have made in fostering a holistic approach to diversity and inclusion in our industry. I want to express my appreciation to those who have confided in me, despite their fears of repercussions on their careers. I dedicate this award to them, as they are the unsung heroes of change. Together, let us continue to work towards a more inclusive and supportive environment for all.”
Lloyd Walker, proposal manager with Jacobs, won the Inspiration and Support Award for his enthusiasm in supporting others, both within and outwith his work responsibilities.
Lloyd said, “I’m honoured and privileged to have been nominated and win this award! I love my job and having the ability to support and educate others in the profession has been a huge passion of mine. I aim to take the stereotypes and stigmas associated with civil engineering and create an environment where individuals are supported, curious, creative and ultimately proud of what they do and what they can become. I hope to continue to promote STEM and help people achieve all they can within civil engineering and beyond.”
The Sustainability Champion Award went to Ian Watt, delivery manager at Scottish Water, for demonstrating exceptional leadership in driving Scottish Water’s net zero ambitions which have had a measurable and wide-reaching impact.
He stated, “Achieving net zero is our greatest challenge. It requires us to be collaborative, bold and inspiring as we deliver projects now and in the future. As has been said before, reaching net zero is the point at which we stop damaging the planet. I’m honoured to receive this award and thank my team, colleagues in Scottish Water and our supply chain partners for their continued engagement and support on our Beyond Net Zero ambition.”
The winners received their awards from ICE president professor Jim Hall, ICE Scotland chair Ellen Halkon, and sponsor Russell Bissland of Tech Ex Consulting.
ICE Scotland regional director Ben Westland commented, “ICE has over 8,500 members in Scotland drawn from public, private and academic sectors who design, build and maintain our vital transport, water, flooding, energy and waste infrastructure. They do exceptional things and these awards were designed to celebrate the achievements of just a few of them.”
