About Support Network

Support Network is the personal and practical support charity for members of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and their family.

Established in 1913 (see Our history for the full story) we now have a variety of ways in which we help and engage with the wider IMechE community, ranging from providing finance and specialist advice to volunteering and governance opportunities.

Who we help

To be eligible to use our services or to become a volunteer with us, you need to be:

  • An IMechE member at any grade of membership or duration, resident anywhere in the world (though non-UK service provision might differ due to providers).
  • OR
  • The partner, widower, widow, child, adult child, parent, relative or other ‘dependant’ of an IMechE member, resident anywhere in the world, and the family of a deceased member.
  • OR
  • In certain circumstances we can also help former members and/or their family, though applications are treated on a case by case basis.

What we do

Support Network provides information, advice, and financial, emotional and practical assistance to people in need. These people could be present or past Institution members, their partners, children or other dependants.

How we help

There are a number of different ways in which Support Network can assist, and in addition to the range of responses below, we will always try and be flexible in our approach in order to meet individual needs:

How you can help

We rely on our team of volunteer visitors to help us assess new applications for support and keep in touch through making social visits.

Our board of Trustees is also largely drawn from the IMechE membership.

We are grateful that many members donate to Support Network by making a voluntary £10 donation with their annual subscription, thank you, and also through payroll giving, Gift Aid and/or regular payments throughout the year.

To find out how you can help by volunteering or making a donation please contact us.

Contact us

We can be reached by email at supportnetwork@imeche.org or you can phone us at + 44 (0)20 7304 6812 or 6816. We look forward to hearing from you.

Need some help?

Contact the Support Network team if you have any questions.