A significant part of what the IGS provides to its members is the opportunity and incentive to exchange ideas and recognise work which has been well done. In 2012 there will be three significant opportunities for Chapter members: • Student Paper Award • Chapter Achievement Award • The IGS Photo Contest The deadlines are linked to specific regional conferences so there's no scope for extensions.

Colin Jones (left) & Bob Warwick (right) were presented with honorary membership of the UK Chapter by Neil Dixon, Chairman, at the recent AGM held at The Geological Society in London. Alan McGown had been unable to attend due to illness. All three recipients have been geosynthetics' champions since the mid-70s & they were all instrumental in the formation of the UK Chapter. The awards reflect their contribution to the acceptance of geosynthetics in today’s construction industry.

An Engineering Doctorate has been sponsored by the UK Chapter of The International Geosynthetics Society. Sponsorship of this doctorate represents an investment in the promotion of geosynthetic applications made possible via the financial success of the EuroGeo4 conference in Autumn 2008. We consider this to be an excellent opportunity to pick up on the work already undertaken under the auspices of WRAP and demonstrate the enormous environmental value of geosynthetics. Please bring this doctorate to the attention of anyone that you think may be interested and encourage them to express and interest as soon as possible. Closing date for applications is 14/5/2010.

This paper closely follows the lecture presented in London on 9 September 2009 and will be published in the proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Geosynthetics, Guaruja, Brazil, May 2010.

Eight teams entered the UK Chapter's Corporate Sponsors 2009 Golf day this year. Two from Tensar Int, two from Golder Associates and one each from Geosynthetics Ltd, Huesker, TenCate and Asphalt Reinforcement Services. Team scoring was very close with results ranging from 82 points up to 108. There were four teams within 3 points of each other at the top - a photo finish! Geosynthetics Ltd and Tensar's second team both had 108 points but Tensar had 67 on the back nine against Geosynthetics’ 59 so the Tensar team of Craig Roberts, John Evans, Neil Darbyshire and Jonathan Cook were the victors (shown in the photograph). Asphalt Reinforcement Services came in third with 107 points. Alistair Giffen of the Huesker team won the longest drive and Charles Heather of Golders Team 1 was Nearest the Pin. The best individual stableford score was posted by Chris Foxton of Geosynthetics who won on another count back with a score of 35 – some consolation for losing the team competition by the same route! The UK Chapter look forward to welcoming all again next year and would encourage some of the other corporate sponsors to join us.

The 2008 Corporate Sponsor’s Golf Day was held on Wednesday 20th of August 2008 at the usual venue, Patshull Park Hotel Golf & Country Club in Shropshire.