Highways and Transportation SW awards event is a major success
The Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT (SW) held a glittering black-tie awards dinner hosted at Sandy Park, Exeter, which recognised South West industry projects for 2022/2023. The event was generously sponsored by Waterman Aspen who has built careers and provided technical expertise to clients for 35 years working right across the engineering spectrum, from major national infrastructure projects to smaller-scale local schemes requiring specialist support.
CIHT celebrates the very best the region offers across key areas of highways and transportation, open to everyone; members and non-members; small and large organisations; public, private, and third sector. The annual South West region awards ceremony celebrated innovative and pioneering transportation projects in recognition of the outstanding contribution that good projects and people make to our daily lives.
The ceremony celebrated innovative and pioneering transportation projects. CIHT SW Region Chair, David Watkins gave a welcome address and a presentation on the industry was given by CIHT (UK) President 2023 Neil Johnstone with support from Cat Goumal, (CIHT Head of Education and Training).
David Watkins, CIHT (SW) Chair says, “We as an industry, face some of the most difficult and stubborn challenges but you can make a difference – at a personal level touching people’s everyday lives, at a local level to your town or community, a national level delivering major infrastructure and policies and in doing all this you can help everyone, everywhere. The future needs a better connected, more sustainable, safer, and more equitable transport system – and that requires the best minds and the best thinkers. I like to think each of us in this room makes some contribution in our own way and I’m proud to present the projects making that difference.”
150 guests enjoyed a three-course dinner and entertainment was on hand with close-up magic from Magician Robin Fox, a member of The Magic Circle who has performed over 1000 shows across the world, and much fun was had at the South West Photo Booths.
After dinner, followed the exciting industry project awards, with five categories.
And drumroll...
- ‘The Sustainability Award’, winners’ – Taunton Bus Town and £1 fare submitted by Somerset Council, sponsored by Jacobs.
- ‘The Transport Innovation Award’ went to DIAL, the Diversity & Inclusion Assessment – Lite submission by WSP and sponsored by Colas.
- ‘The Collaboration Award’ – A417 Missing Link by Kier Highways was sponsored by Stantec Engineering.
- The winner of the coveted ‘Transportation Project of the Year’ was presented by Nik Bowyer – Associate Director AECOM, and South West & Wales director Esther Lawton of Waterman Aspen. The worthy winners were The Forder Valley Link Road, submitted by Balfour Beatty and Plymouth City Council in collaboration with WSP and AECOM.
- The Peter Swain Award for ‘Emerging Professional of the Year’, sponsored by WSP and presented by Mike O’Dowd-Jones – Somerset Council was won by all three nominees Laura Brooks of WSP, Sarah Hodson from Arup, and James Meredith of Jacobs.
“I am always hugely impressed by the talent displayed by our emerging professionals in the Southwest”, says CIHT (SW) Chair David Watkins. “As always, this is a very competitive category, and the committee always struggles to narrow down the entrants – all of whom are fantastic and clearly have a great career trajectory ahead of them. In the CIHT committee’s view, all of our three entrants were excellent and demonstrated high standards of professionalism, so we decided each of them was a worthy winner for ‘The Peter Swain Award for ‘Emerging Professional of the Year’ 2023.
The CIHT (SW) is proud to support a local good cause each year. For 2023 Exeter-based Balloons was its designated charity that supports children and young people who’ve lost a significant person in their lives. A charity raffle with prizes generously donated by regional businesses and an auction helped to raise £2,450 for this worthy cause. Nicola Clarke, CEO of Balloon gave an emotional speech on how they support bereaved children and that the money generously raised by CIHT (SW) would make a real difference to their work.
David Watkins concludes: “It was a wonderful evening and well supported. We are very grateful to our headline sponsor Waterman Aspen, our award sponsors, all our guests, and speakers for helping to make it such a memorable event which also helped raise much-needed funds for Balloons, a very deserving charity.”
Photo:
Left to right: Neil Johnston CIHT (UK) President / Merlijn Marien - Regional Engagement Officer (CIHT)/ Cat Goumal - Head of Education and Training / David Watkins - Chair CIHT (SW).
