Heritage Special Interest Group

Celebrating the heritage of WES and women in Engineering.‍ ‍

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The WES Heritage Special Interest Group brings together members who are passionate about the history of women in engineering and the legacy of the Women’s Engineering Society.

Our aim is to preserve, celebrate and share the achievements and impact of the women who shaped the engineering landscape, and to ensure their contributions continue to inspire future generations.

Why it matters

Recognise

Recognise the pioneers who opened doors for today’s engineers

Highlight

Highlight the long‑standing contributions of women to engineering innovation

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Strengthen

Strengthen our identity as a society rooted in activism, leadership and community

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Inspire

Inspire new generations by showing the continuity of women’s achievements across time

What we do

The Heritage Group focuses on uncovering, documenting and promoting the rich history of WES and women engineers across the UK. Our work includes:

Exploring archival material, historic publications and member records

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Capturing oral histories and personal stories from past and present members

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Showcasing historic milestones through articles, talks and digital content

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Supporting heritage‑related projects, exhibitions and collaborations

Ensuring WES’s legacy is visible, accessible and understood by the wider engineering community

5 Heritage SIG news

The newly established Heritage Special Interest Group recently held its first meeting, bringing together members with a shared passion for preserving and celebrating the history of women in engineering. The session generated a wealth of exciting ideas, which are now being organised into a "hopper of opportunities" that members will prioritise and develop over the coming months. Early ideas include highlighting the stories of women engineers across our regions, uncovering local engineering heritage and making greater use of the Society's historic journal archive through further digitisation. It's an exciting beginning for a group with enormous potential to preserve and share the rich history of women in engineering.

Who can join?

The Heritage Group is open to any WES member with an interest in history, archival work and celebrating women’s achievements in engineering.

Get Involved

Whether you’d like to contribute to a project, help with research, share a story, or simply learn more about WES’s history, we’d love to welcome you. Contact us at heritage@wes.org.uk to express interest.