29 Volunteers Darren wins STEM Rising Star Award Congratulations to IET volunteer Darren Williams, who triumphed at the prestigious Black British Business (BBB) Awards in October. The BBB Awards programme celebrates the outstanding performance and achievements of black professionals and entrepreneurs in businesses operating in Great Britain. At a ceremony held in London, Darren Williams, Welding Systems Manager at TWI Ltd, received the BBB STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Rising Star Award. “At the awards ceremony, before the winner of my category was announced, the audience was shown a brief video presentation made by each of the four finalists,” said Darren. “The first three were clearly very strong contenders for the award, so I was convinced that I hadn’t won. When my name was read out, I was shocked. It certainly seemed a very long walk from the back of the room to the stage, and being presented with the award was an amazing and very humbling experience.” Darren has demonstrated a firm commitment to STEM since 2008, when as a student at the University of Sheffield, he mentored several 16-year-olds at Doncaster schools. “This set off a spark in me,” he said. “I recognised that when you put in the effort to help others, it feels good. After that, while at Rolls-Royce I joined in the STEM ambassador activities, speaking to students at local schools, colleges and universities.” A prolific IET volunteer, Darren set up the South Yorkshire IET Local Network Young Professionals Committee in 2015 and was its Chair for the first two years. He said: “I built it into an active team of more than 20 members – a balanced, sustainable mix of academics and professionals. We put on some really good educational events, including factory and railway visits, and life skills sessions.” Darren was a member of the IET Communities Resourcing Committee for over three years and is currently on the IET Volunteer Engagement Board, where he brings his experience of communities to help develop our volunteer strategy. He said: My volunteering experience with the IET definitely played a big part in winning the BBB Award, along with my positive mindset and approach, and my drive for inspiring others.” In November 2018 Darren received a further honour: the IET Paul Fletcher Award for outstanding contributions to our activities. Member News March 2019 Darren Williams CEng FIET receiving the IET Paul Fletcher Award