Nuclear Institute Board Members and staff met together at the Macdonald Hotel in Manchester for the first ever vision-setting strategy away-day for the organisation on 22-23 April 2014.
The meeting brought the brilliant minds of the Board of Trustees, with extensive nuclear careers and expertise, together with the fresh input of the new Staff Team, who specialise in administration, events, marketing and operations.
A corporate dinner on the first evening was followed by a full-day meeting of creative thinking and discussion run by an impartial facilitator. Time was usefully spent in getting to know each other, identifying the key points to discuss and working towards action plans to move forward. There was a particular focus on the Nuclear Delta, membership growth and core messaging.
Following the strategy day, Executive Secretary Elaine Boyes said: "The away-day was a great opportunity for the Trustees and staff to discuss the future direction of the Nuclear Institute to ensure it continues to support our members and provide independent information and advice to the public and government."
Progress has already been made in the last couple of weeks following the discussion. Web users may have noticed a visible change to our e-bulletins as well as some edited content on our website, helping to communicate the NI's message and activities more effectively. Development is also ongoing to reorganise the membership process and grading in order to make it easier for members to join and update their details.
Tim Chittenden, President of the Nuclear Institute, commented in his latest column for Nuclear Future: "The work to reconsider the arrangements, in light of experience since the amalgamation of the Institute of Nuclear Engineers and the BNES, is progressing well. The workshop did however highlight the increasing need for volunteers to help with the Institute’s membership processes and event management activities. There will also be a call for candidates for election as Trustees later in the year."
This was the first meeting of its kind for the Nuclear Institute since its origin from the merger between the British Nuclear Energy Society (BNES) and the Institution of Nuclear Engineers in 2009.