CEDA UK Outstanding Contribution Awards 2022
In the 2nd year of the CEDA UK “Outstanding Contribution Award”, after receiving well-deserved nominations, the UK committee decided to present not one, but three awards.
The award recognises individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the UK dredging industry; for example, by years of service, promotion of the industry or contribution towards inspiring, informing or founding best practices and innovation in the industry.
The awards were presented to Nick Smith, Peter de Vaal & Frank Weston at CEDA UK’s annual reception by Mieke van Loenen, General Manager of CEDA.
Nick Smith has recently retired from the Canal & River Trust (and his role on CEDA UK’s committee) following 30+ years involved in dredging our inland waterways.
A Mining Surveyor by trade, Nick joined the Trust’s predecessor, British Waterways, in 1990 to help obtain Waste Management Licences for the organisation’s 200+ dredging disposal sites. He enjoyed a career that included managing the largest number of waste disposal licences held by a single organisation in the UK, supervising dredging works, helping to restore the Scottish Lowland canals, representing inland dredging interests to UK government and internationally, guiding colleagues across the Trust on legal waste management requirements and saving inland waterways managers £millions through his efforts on legislation and Landfill Tax exemptions.
Nick’s experiences evolved into him becoming an expert on all legislation to do with inland dredging and disposal of dredged arisings. In this position, he delivered a number of outstanding contributions that benefited the wider waterways management community and all inland waterway users. He also represented the UK’s inland waterways in many international forums and was a member of CEDA UK’s Committee. Finally, as a team leader for many years, he launched the careers of several younger colleagues in the dredging and environmental management fields both within the waterways and outside.
Peter and Frank were jointly nominated. Two minds with over 100 years of dredging experience between them and over 50 years each with Boskalis – words that are unlikely to be repeated in Boskalis or any other dredging company anytime soon. Frank Weston joined, what was then Westminster Dredging Company Ltd in 1966, aged 16 as a cabin boy, based in the company’s yard in Bromborough on Merseyside. Peter de Vaal similarly joined in 1968. Both have worked for “the Wessie” and now Boskalis Westminster ever since and, not only that, other siblings and indeed, Peter’s father and son, have worked and continue to work for the company – true dredging families!
Frank officially “retired” a few years ago but continues to work for the company on an ad hoc basis providing his colleagues with his wise council on many different aspects of getting the job done safely and efficiently. Peter is trying to “slow down” and work towards retirement in the next year or so.
But, as with many long-time servers in the dredging industry, once it gets into the blood and under the finger nails, it is hard to let go.
Both Frank and Peter bring professionalism, enthusiasm, a wealth of practical knowledge and a sense of esprit de corps to any project and to their colleagues around them. They have been in the dredging industry longer than the existence of CEDA (by some ten years!). They have seen the dredging industry change massively over fifty years, from what it was then, to the high tech, highly automated and safety conscious industry that it is today. They have not only adapted to that change but have also made great contributions to that change. They have always been very keen to pass on their knowledge and experiences to the youngest of our personnel, treating them with respect, keeping them safe and giving them room to develop their skills with independence and just the right amount of hands-on management.
Frank and Peter have been part of the evolution of the dredging industry over the last fifty years, not just bystanders.
This prestigious award is open to all levels of participants, currently employed or who have retired within the past 3 years, with an emphasis for rewarding those individuals who may otherwise receive limited formal recognition (for example project or support staff). Nominees or sponsors do not have to be CEDA UK members.