Chartered status update
At this year’s AGM (2024), members voted for the special resolution in favour of petitioning for a Royal Charter. Rod Muttram FIRSE will be leading the year-long project, which will be managed by the Governance Oversight Committee. Having a Royal Charter will give our Institution long overdue external recognition, validation and status. All of the other organisations we work with on a regular basis, including the Engineering Council and the Royal Academy of Engineering, already hold Chartered status, so a successful petition will reflect an equivalent standing.
The Royal Charter will be based on our existing memorandum and articles, and will enable us to be selfgoverning, no longer bound by the 2006 Companies Act. The charitable side of our institution will, however, still be regulated by the Charity Commission. The memorandum becomes the Royal Charter, articles of association become the Charter bylaws, our existing bylaws become regulations, and our regulations become the Charter’s rules.
We’re grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology who will be helping us to draft the Charter. As a charity, the Foundation provides guidance on governance issues to Professional and Learned Societies and has assisted many other professional engineering institutions on their journeys towards Chartered status. It is important to note that gaining Chartered status as an organisation has nothing to do with individuals achieving professional registration, which is a completely separate process. The IRSE is licensed by the Engineering Council to register the grades of Chartered Engineer (CEng), Incorporated Engineer (IEng) and Engineering Technician (EngTech) and this will not change.
Why a Royal Charter?- Rob Muttram, Project Lead
“Before the 19th Century, and the legislation which allowed the formation of companies and charities as legal entities, a Charter of Incorporation was the main way in which collective bodies were given a legal status. Since then, its use has largely been limited to entities such as such as Professional Institutions and Charities which can demonstrate pre-eminence, stability and permanence in their particular field. In particular, a Royal Charter is granted to entities which act not solely to advance the interests of their members but also, and primarily, to advance the public interest. I believe that fits exactly with the nature of the IRSE, our licensing scheme and our objective of ‘Protecting the safety of all those who travel and work on railway systems worldwide.” Obtaining a Royal Charter is a prestigious way of demonstrating the recognition of our organisation’s professional and public interest status."
Alignment with our 2020-2025 IRSE Strategy - Becoming a chartered professional institution aligns closely with our strategic aims.
- Engage - A Royal Charter will enable us to engage with other influential bodies on a global scale.
- Grow - Being a chartered professional organisation will increase the profile and standing of our members within the UK and across the world.
- Network - Chartered status will enhance our ability to network with other influential people and organisations.
- Develop - The Charter will give us the opportunity to work alongside other professional organisations with an equivalence in standing.
- Assure - Having a Royal Charter provides external verification and credibility of our elevated status to other official bodies.
Our supporters - The following organisations are in support of the IRSE obtaining a Royal Charter.
- Institution of Engineering and Technology
- Institution of Mechanical Engineers
- Royal Academy of Engineering
- Engineering Council
- Engineering UK
- Railway Industry Association GB
- National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering
- Worshipful Company of Engineers
- HS2
- Transport for London
- Network Rail
- Department For Transport
FAQs covering all aspects of a Royal Charter are available below,
If you have any further questions, please contact us at contact@irse.org