About the Institute of Refrigeration

The Institute of Refrigeration (IOR) is an independent registered charity run for the public benefit with a membership of over 2200 individuals reflecting the diversity of the refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump sector. The Institute provides a central resource for people from all over the world to improve the application of refrigeration and allied fields for the general good of society with particular emphasis on environment, efficiency, safety and innovation.

Charitable objectives

• to provide a forum for all those involved professionally in refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump science and engineering.
• to promote the technical advancement of refrigeration in all its applications, in relation both to the perfection of its methods and the minimisation of its effects on the environment.
• to encourage the extension of refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump services for the benefit of the community.
• to promote means of communication for exchange of expertise and interchange of views, and to communicate knowledge of refrigeration and its communal benefits to the outside world.
• to encourage invention and research in all matters relating to the science and practice of refrigeration.

History and heritage

The Institute was founded in 1899 as the Cold Storage and Ice Association and was the first national society of mechanical refrigeration in the world. In 1944 qualified membership was introduced in order to raise the status of the association and of those engaged in the science and its practice, and the present name of the Institute of Refrigeration was adopted.

Governance

The IOR is registered with the Charity Commission as a Charitable Incorporated Association, an educational and scientific body (reg no 250 081 and 1166869). It is governed by an elected Board of Trustees, and has a permanent staff of five based in offices in Carshalton, Surrey.

• The IOR Constitution was last updated in 2021. IOR is a registered charitable incorporated organisation reg no 1166869.  
• The Rules and Byelaws (as amended by AGM 3rd November 2022) support the Constitution
• Each year the IOR publishes a Trustees Annual Report and Accounts which is presented to members at an AGM.
• Trustees and President of the IOR are elected regularly by our members in accordance with the constitution.

• IOR activities are led by members volunteering in standing Committees and Working Groups. 

About our members

The Institute of Refrigeration has a Code of Conduct adopted by its membership and members are expected to order their conduct in accordance with this Code.  

Current Committees and Working Groups

• Board of Trustees (Chair -  Graeme Fox FInstR)
• Finance Committee (Chair - John Skelton FInstR)
• Membership Committee (Chair - Damian Wiszniewski FInstR)
• Technical Committee (Chair - David Paget FInstR)
• Papers and Publications Committee (Chair - Dermot Cotter FInstR)
• International Refrigeration Committee (Chair - Andy Pearson FInstR)
• Service Engineers Section Management Panel (Chair - Bob Wright AMInstR)
• Education (Chair - John Skelton FInstR)
• Dinner Committee (Chair - Juliet Loiselle MInstR)
• Sustainable Innovation in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning steering group (Chair - Graeme Maidment FInstR)
• Trailblazer Employers Group (Chair - Roger Mapperley FInstR)
• Environment Committee (Chair - Graeme Maidment FInstR)
• Women in RACHP network (Chair - Karen Perry MInstR)

How IOR Committees work

The IOR welcomes members involvement - all of our publications, events and services are generated by our volunteer members, supported by a small administration staff. Most of our work is organised in a series of Committees (listed above).  Each Committee is set up on behalf of the Board of Trustees and they have a written set of Terms of Reference so it is clear for everyone involved what the purpose of the group is, how they work and what time commitment is required.  The Chair of the committee is appointed by the Board of Trustees to ensure effective management of the group, to report to the Board on key developments, and works closely with the IOR paid staff. 

How you can get involved

IOR regularly advertises vacancies in committees in the newsletter, social media and home page of the IOR website.  Each Committee tries to ensure that its membership is varied enough to carry out the tasks involved and diverse in representing the skills and interests of the membership.   If you would like to offer your expertise to an IOR Committee you can send a brief cv outlining your interest and background. The Committee will consider all of the offers and fill vacancies to ensure a mix of input.  Most of the volunteers are members but we do occasionally involve non-members who are specialists in a particular field.  The length of time you will need to be involved in the Committee and the frequency of meetings and of work undertaken outside of the meetings will vary depending on the workload of the group.  All Committees now meet remotely and this has opened up opportunities for more people to be involved as it has reduced time spent traveling.

If you would like to find out more about the work of one of the Committees listed above and offer to get more involved please contact us. or read the FAQ below. 

Committee FAQs

Want to know more about the role and workings of IOR Committees? Download our FAQ sheet.