The National Piers Society (NPS) is a registered charity in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

dedicated to promoting and sustaining interest in the preservation and continued enjoyment of seaside piers. It was founded in 1979, with Sir John Betjeman as the first Honorary President. Currently the role is filled by

Gavin Henderson Gavin Douglas Henderson CBE (born 3 February 1948) is an English arts administrator, conductor and trumpeter. Between 2007 and 2020 he was principal of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama at the University of London.''Who's Who'' He ...

, Principal of the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, with Tim Mickleburgh (Chair 1995-2003) as Honorary Vice President. The NPS became a registered charity in 1999, and quarterly magazines have been published since 1987. The society also lobbies heritage bodies, lottery boards, local authorities and the media on pier issues. In 2014 it worked with

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that i ...

to bring out the book ''British Seaside Piers''. The Annual General Meeting takes place at a different resort each year, beginning in 1983. The meetings usually include private tours of nearby piers. In addition to establishing regional branches, the society is working to create a National Piers Museum. The NPS maintains links with the relevant

trade association A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry. An industry trade association partic ...

, th
British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions
and th
Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS)
In 2005, a limited company – The National Piers Society Ltd. – was created as the NPS trading arm.

Pier of the Year award

Since 1996 the society has presented an annual Pier of the Year award, as voted by the society's members. The rules state that only piers currently open to the public, and piers which have not won the award in the last five years, are eligible. Past awards have been given to: The society also presents a triennial award for engineering excellence, the Peter Mason Award, named after a past Chairman.

Notes and references

External links

* Piers in the United Kingdom 1979 establishments in the United Kingdom Organizations established in 1979 Heritage organisations in the United Kingdom {{UK-org-stub