b'28 Member News July 2020From the engineering communityResourceful Engineers Make Anything Possible: The national charity that changes livesFounded in 1964, Remap was established to help disabled people live more independent lives. A place for engineers of all backgrounds to come together and use their skills, each year Remap makes a difference to thousands of lives by designing and making equipment to support their individual needs.We caught up with Anthony BondWhats been the best project Anthony Bond MIET, Chairman of Remaps MIET, Chairman of Bedfordshire Northsyouve worked on? Bedfordshire North panelpanel and a member of the IET for 50 years, whose extensive career as anAfter eight years, theres been countlesscivil engineers, materials engineers, some electronic engineer and DIY woodworkingprojects. One that stands out for mepeople that have worked in the health sector enthusiasm led to volunteering withhowever happened a few years ago. Parentsin the pastits not limited to one sector of Remap for the past eight years. of a young girl, who was severely brainthe industry, we have volunteers from the damaged at birth, came to us with a problemwhole spectrum of engineering.to solve; they had to move her out of a small What is Remap? bed into a full-sized hospital bed in theirI ts a chance for people to convert Our one-sentence offering is, we designhome. Now they had an adaptive house, yettheir engineering knowledge and make bespoke equipment to helpthe issue was that the young girl was onlyand professional experience into people with disabilities, or people whoat rest when constantly being moved; thesomething to help others. What have problems with independent living.movement calmed her, and if she was still,attracted me to the work of Remap The mission is to design and make,shed become agitated. Even during the day when shed be in a wheelchair, she would begenerally, is that theres very good which is important for engineers. constantly moved to soothe her. projects - youre never short of Key Stats In making the transition to this hospital bed,things to share. When I go and talk Around 900 volunteers, spread acrosswhich was obviously static, the parentsto people to promote the work weve about 70 local groups asked if we could make the bed move indone, you have to stop yourself At the last count, they contributedsome way. Shed always had problemsfrom saying too much because 68,000 hours of volunteer work with her sleeping, had never slept throughtheres endless projects. They range In 2019 they completed 3,800the night at all. After experimenting withenormously too; from an afternoons potential types of movement, we ended up projects, of approximately 15 hourswith a motorised rocking horse trestle towork to a job spread across several per project place under the bed, which rocked like amonths, from simple solutions to theEverything they do is for free rocking horse all night. more complex tasks.After that solution and trying it out, herIts not just for retired engineers either! parents told us that it was the first night thatPeople volunteer alongside their current everyone had slept through for the first time,profession, which allows them to continue ever. Its still quite an emotional matter. Youtheir hobby of making things, whilst making really can make a significant difference. a difference to someones life.Why should IET membersHow can IET members get volunteer? involved?Engineers all love a project. Remap veryEven if you havent done any project-based much gives you that. Its even better that itwork in a long timeyour engineering gives you projects that are at the benefit ofdoesnt run out of date. Volunteering with someone else. It turns tinkering about in theRemap has allowed me to provide solutions shed into a focused activity! to improve quality of life and increase Our volunteers are electrical engineers,independence for others; plus, its such a mechanical engineers, aeronautical engineers,good story to tell. Become a Remap volunteer today. Read more stories about the peopleAnthony Bond MIET showcasing the incredible work that Remap has achieved theyve helped and find out more on their website at: remap.org.uk'