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utILIty WeeK | 26th February - 3rd march 2016 | 29 Community "The programme's about committing to continuous professional development" Anglian Water chief executive Peter Simpson is also the national president of the Institute of Water, which has developed the Rising Stars programme, in partnership with Utility Week, and the Utility Week Stars Awards. Utility Week met Simpson at Anglian Water's Hall water treatment works in Lincolnshire aer he had hosted the Rising Stars and taken them on a tour of the facility, and a local farm which the company has been working closely with as part of its catchment manage- ment plan Q: What are you hoping the Rising Stars will get out of the programme? A: "It is an opportunity to give them a bit of profile for the year and to expose them to a lot of different aspects of the business. It's about giving them opportunities to meet people they have not met before and the oppor- tunity to look at different businesses. At this time in their career it is a good time for them to do it – it gives them appetisers in lots of different areas and hopefully encourages them to carry on developing themselves." Q: How has the visit gone today and what do you hope the Stars have taken away from it? A: "From an environmental and cost point of view it makes sense having to avoid the need to treat the water in the first place. So to actually have a day when we can focus on what is a leading global technology on remov- ing metaldehyde and then to counterpoint that with what we need to do at farm scale to prevent the pesticide getting into the water is a nice way of looking at it. Hopefully they've got something out of that." Q: Is the scheme about helping the Stars gain new qualifications? A: "For me, that is an important thing. Professional qualifications are important for an industry that is so critical to the environment and public health. But the programme is also important in terms of the discipline that comes with it, that opens the mind to development. It's about committing to continuous professional devel- opment, keeping up to date with what's going on in the industry and keeping yourself current. "The Institute of Water has always been a more applied and practical professional body than some of the others, and it's always benefited from developing younger people. But it's also about the people on the frontline. For me, that one of the big things about this is making sure it never becomes an elitist professional body, but one that covers the full spectrum." Q&A Peter Simpson, Chief executive, Anglian Water Utility Week Stars Awards Manchester, 17 June 2016 In June, the acclaimed Utility Week Stars Awards will be back, and bigger and better than ever as we celebrate the crucial contributions of frontline and back office staff from across the utilities sector. We will be honouring the unsung heroes of the energy and water networks who, day aer day, go above and beyond the call of duty to deliver these vital services to homes and businesses, making a real difference to people's lives. For more information, visit: www.utilityweekstars.co.uk ing a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry at Manchester Metropolitan Univer- sity, and has spent six months on secondment to the Drinking Water Inspectorate. She also has an MSc in Water and Wastewater Engineer- ing and was one of the Institute of Water's first Chartered Scientists. Will Finlay, labora- tory project man- ager, South East Water Will joined South East Water as a water sampler and has worked his way up to project manager of a multi-mil- lion pound laboratory relocation. Despite working full time he com- pleted a Business and Technology Education Council qualification in applied science, passing with a distinction, and gained a 2:1 for a biology degree. Stephen Wood- hams, network co-ordinator, South Staffs Water Stephen joined South Staffs Water in 2009 as a network support assistant in the hydraulic modelling team. Following the completion of a two-year devel- opment plan, he was promoted to network co-ordinator in the asset management team in 2012. In 2013 Stephen embarked upon a five-year journey to achieve a BEng in Civil Engineering, aer successfully securing funding from the Utilities and Service Industries Training Limited's Business Skills Award. ingress of metaldehyde – used in slug pellets – into water sources. These include things as simple as drip trays in pesticide-handling areas, through to understanding the ground. This is where we end up with Simpson, following the Stars into the soil pit. Compacted soil, as a result of farm machinery, is less permeable and increases surface runoff in wet weather – and the levels of pesticide that may end up in the water. Prodding it with a knife helps to reveal the state of the soil. WRc scientist Jo Lamont expresses the view of all the Stars when she talks of how beneficial it has been to share ideas and talk with peers from other businesses, building up contacts that will serve them all well into the future. And that is the rationale behind the Ris- ing Stars programme. It nurtures their ambi- tions by showing them more of the industry than they may otherwise see, helps them to develop a network of people who can encourage one another, and motivates them to continue on their professional develop- ment journeys in the water industry.