the-BA : Sir Walter Bodmer Award 2007

Dave Thompson (winner of Sir Walter Bodmer Award - Volunteer of the Year 2007) meeting world leading string theorist Michio Kaku

The BA has recognised the great contribution that two committed volunteers have made to engage and inspire adults and young people with science and technology, by presenting them with the Sir Walter Bodmer Award for Volunteers. The announcement coincides with Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June).

Each year, the BA awards the Sir Walter Bodmer Award for Volunteers to a dedicated volunteer or group of volunteers in recognition of the great value and impact of its volunteers.

This year, Christeen Armitage from Dundee will receive the Long Service Award in thanks for the 38 years that she has contributed her time, effort and enthusiasm to the BA’s Tayside and Fife Branch, which she helped found in 1968. Dave Thompson from Knutsford in Cheshire will receive the Volunteer of the Year Award in recognition of his huge success in establishing a highly popular SciBAr and other regular events in the North West.

‘The BA’s large network of volunteers is invaluable in helping us reach a wide audience of all ages,’ says Roland Jackson, Chief Executive of the BA. ‘Without our volunteers we could not hope to achieve even a fraction of what we currently do, so we would like to thank both the recipients of the Sir Walter Bodmer Award as well as the many thousands of volunteers around the UK who help us throughout the year.’

The winners will both attend the BA Festival of Science in York this September to collect their awards.

Volunteer of the Year

Two years ago, the North West Branch of the BA asked Dave Thompson to run a SciBAr – an informal event where the general public can discuss science over a pint of beer, glass of wine or cappuccino. SciBArs reflect the BA’s commitment to bring scientific debate out of the lecture theatre and into new arenas.

Starting from scratch, Dave established a flourishing group of non-scientists, who are now strong science enthusiasts. The SciBAr has met every month for the past two years, with different scientists asked to join each meeting. The Knutsford SciBAr now has such a reputation for interesting discussion, that scientists queue to be invited. Keen to encourage others to run SciBArs, Dave has shared his enthusiasm for this type of science education by speaking at BA regional meetings and at the North West Science Alliance, as well as offering individual help and advice to other volunteers.

‘I started off wanting to discuss science with people but the number of people who now come along to events has exceeded all my expectations,’ says Dave. ‘They come from all walks of life and are very keen to participate in the discussions, which range from global warming to topics such as invisibility cloaking. It’s very enjoyable and to get an award for doing it as well is great!’

Following the success of the Knutsford SciBAr, Dave has now also started a Science Book Club and Son-of-SciBAr, which is a smaller group designed to encourage and empower those who don’t yet feel confident enough to ask questions in the main forum.

Long Service Award

Christeen Armitage became a founder member of the BA’s Tayside and Fife Branch in 1968 and continued to be an active member of what is the BA’s oldest local branch in Scotland until she retired from the committee in 2006. During the 38 years that Christeen volunteered with the BA she contributed a great deal, including delivering excellent science events to more than one generation of children in the Tayside area.

‘I first became aware of the BA in 1968, when the annual meeting [now known as the BA Festival of Science] was held in Dundee,’ says Christeen. ‘At the time I was struck by the wide scope of topics that were covered and felt that any organisation that could cover everything from the cleaning and restoration of monuments in Rome to robotics had a lot going for it. I think this is still true for most people today. I was able to contribute to a great variety of activities during my time volunteering with the BA and it is a delightful surprise to receive this award.’

As well as serving as branch secretary/treasurer from 1977 until 1983, Christeen ran the area’s British Association Young Scientists (BAYS) group until 1983. Following this she continued to actively participate in organising a range of branch activities, including regular Saturday morning workshops for school children, theme days and a popular public lecture programme.

Click here for more information about volunteering for the BA.

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