Branch History

Albert Kendell, a recipient of the President’s Distinguished Service Award, recalls a past boss (John Hayward) being a founder member of that organisation back in 1951, when meetings used to be held at the Yorkshire Parkside Safety Centre at Hunslet, Leeds, and attracted 20 to 25 people.

The change to IOSH saw the meetings move from the wooden hut at Hunslet to the Selby Fork Motel, then Kellingley Miners' Welfare at Knottingley before moving to the Parkside Hotel at Pontefract. In 1999, the branch split because of its size (over 2,400 members), and the Humberside Branch was formed.

Our current membership (approaching 2,500) enjoys the setting of Rogerthorpe Manor for our events. Branch meetings generally attract 80-120 members and aim to be informative and practical thus helping established members to maintain their CPD & new members to develop in the field.

We believe that the first female chair of an IOSH branch was our own Pat Harvey, back in the 1980s. She was followed in later years by Jean Illingworth and then Nina Wrightson, who went on to become President of IOSH and receive the President’s Distinguished Service Award.

Other branch members who have received the President’s Distinguished Service Award include: Kenneth Saxton MIOSH (February 1990), Ronald Jackson FIOSH (November 1993), Doug Cartwright FIOSH (April 2005), Chris Richold MIOSH (April 2005) and Tim Briggs (2010). John Lacey has joined Nina as one of those able to claim the honour of President and has since joined the Board of Trustees.