The Lincolnshire Iron and Steel Institute was founded in 1918, drawing members from
most of the companies involved in iron and steelmaking in northern Lincolnshire.
Its purpose was to create a forum within which technical information about developments
in the manufacturing process could be shared amongst members. The scope has subsequently
been broadened to encompass anything from the industry, or the disciplines involved
in it. That has meant members have been able to listen to presentations on topics
as diverse as engineering on Concorde and vintage motorcycles, building football
stadia and the Eden Project, and design of yachts, aircraft and a boat to contend
for the world water speed record.
Presentations take place on the first Monday of the month from October to March
each year. The October presentation is traditionally the Presidential Address, the
December meeting is joint with the Lincolnshire panel of the Institute of Mechanical
Engineers, and the winning paper in the Young Members' Paper competition is presented
just after the AGM in March.
The Institute's year culminates with the Annual Dinner, which takes place in late
March or early April each year. The event has grown to become the largest of its
kind in the country, with attendance having grown to about 700 members and guests
annually. Attendance is drawn from all the leading steel manufacturing and processing
sectors in the UK and Europe. The dinner is used to raise funds for charity, with
'adopted' charities of Save the Children and the Lindsey Lodge Hospice having benefited
in recent years.