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As mentioned earlier AVRO greatly assisted in the formation of the industry’s only institute, ‘The Institute of Vehicle Recovery (known as the IVR) The Institute is largely responsible for the very high standards practised in the in recovery industry today and anyone suffering a vehicle breakdown, owes a great debt to the many individuals who have worked so hard to make it happen. Below is the a condensed history of the IVR kindly produced by Geoff Gatward
The idea of having a professional institute, with qualifications, for individual members of the recovery industry to allow them to stand alongside other engineering professions, such as the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, was the ‘brainchild’ of the late Mr.Bob Clarke, FCIS, FBIM, MIMI, back in 1979.
At that time, the National Breakdown organisation operated several recovery vehicles of their own, including heavies, and Bob was responsible for the commercial vehicle division; they were full members of AVRO. He was a category ‘F’ member of AVRO and stood alongside Mr.John Wells, who was the Director General of the Association, as the Assistant Director General.
A Training and Qualifications Sub-Committee was formed within AVRO with the intention of setting up training facilities for recovery personnel. That committee consisted, at first, of Messrs Bob Clarke and Brian Drury who were soon joined by another category ‘F’ member, Lt.Col. Andy Morton of the REME Recovery School at Bordon, and they met regularly at the Wembley offices of the RTITB and formed close liaisons with the RTITB, REME, City and Guilds, The Technician Education Council and several other training organisations.
It became clear that such a professional institute
would essentially require a two-way flow of knowledge and could only be as
good as its members. Experienced members would need to pass on their
knowledge to the newcomers in the recovery industry and it was realised
that, as those working at the roadside could contribute most to the
Institute, it would be important that those persons formed the core of its
membership. Where and how to obtain those persons? The obvious solution, in the beginning, was from the category ‘F’ members of AVRO. The intention was to have four grades of membership viz; Student, Associate, Member and Fellow. ‘Grandfather Rights’ to full membership would be granted to the ‘old men’ of the recovery industry whose experience was known to satisfy the committee.
Training of newcomers to the recovery industry was
considered to be of paramount importance and a training package was put
together and discussed with the Engineers Registration Board, City and
Guilds, the RSA, RTITB, the various other training bodies and the AVRO
National Council. A great deal of work continued in the background and, in
1983, AVRO were invited to join the Institute of Mechanical Engineers at
their annual conference and exhibition at Harrogate. Several AVRO members attended that conference where John Wells, AVRO Director General at the time, publicly announced the formation of The Institute of Vehicle Recovery. A steering committee for the new Institute was formed that day, which consisted of Colin Parlett, Geoff Gatward, Brian Drury, Dave Thorley, John Rogers and Dave Marks with John Wells as their mentor and manager.
The Institutes first ‘home’ was at John Wells’s offices down at Storrington in West Sussex and, at the inaugural meeting held there, the members of the steering committee were formed into a Council of Management with Colin Parlett as its Chairman and Geoff Gatward as Secretary.
During the next year, Ron Dawes, Graham Moore and John Wooldridge, who became the first AVRO ‘Engineer’, were recruited to the Council. Later, members of the council included Peter Martin, Dave McAlister and Ron Grice; all three were instrumental in setting up and running the Institute’s earlier recovery training courses.
Dave McAlister set up his own training area near Aldershot and also arranged the use of the RTITB’s training facilities at High Ercall, which led to the formation of IVR Training Services Limited in 1998. He was also responsible for organising the Institute’s Annual General Meetings and successful Dinner Dances held, in the earlier days, at the Post House Hotel at Heathrow.
During 2006, an additional company, IVR (UK) Limited, was formed to act as the Administrator of the Highways Agency SS17 Scheme for the training and registration of Roadside & Recovery Technicians.
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