UK Cartographic Committee

The UKCC’s role is to represent UK cartography in the international community, especially in matters relating to the UK’s membership of the International Cartographic Association (ICA).

The UK Committee has its origins as the Cartography Sub-Committee of the Royal Society’s Committee on Geography from 1960, before UK membership of the ICA passed from the Royal Society to the British Cartographic Society in 1990.

While operating as a committee of BCS Council, the UKCC has always had the aim of representing UK cartography in broad terms and its membership includes representatives of government agencies, commercial cartography companies, academia and other UK societies related to cartography.

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The Committee normally meets annually with additional meetings focused on preparing for quadrennial ICA General Assemblies.

Key activities:

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  • To promote UK cartography to the international cartographic and scientific communities

  • To appoint the UK National Delegate to ICA General Assemblies

  • To nominate UK members of the ICA Executive and Chairs for ICA Commissions

  • To prepare and publish a report on UK cartographic activities on a 4-year cycle (UK national reports are published in The Cartographic Journal)

Barbara Petchenik Children’s Map Competition

The UKCC organises the biennial ICA’s Barbara Petchenik Children’s Map Competition for maps designed by children. The winners of the UK competition are then entered into the international competition and displayed as part of the map exhibition at the International Cartographic Conference. See a record of past entries to the competition and details of the UK competition here.

International Map Exhibition

The UKCC organises the UK contribution to the International Map Exhibition held biennially at international cartographic conferences. This is an ideal opportunity for UK cartographers and map publishers to display their achievements to an international audience. For more information about contributing to the Exhibition, contact the chair of the UKCC: david.forrest@cartography.org.uk.

Current UKCC membership

  • BCS Council appointed chair: Dr D Forrest

  • Secretary: Mr JK Atherton

  • BCS President 

  • Chair, Charles Close Society for the study of Ordnance Survey maps

  • Ordnance Survey representative

  • UK Hydrographic Office representative

  • Defence Geographics representative

  • Land & Property Northern Ireland representative

  • Cartographic industry representative (currently Mrs M. Spence MBE)

  • Academic representatives (currently Dr D. Fairbairn, Newcastle University and Dr A. Kent, Canterbury Christ Church University)

  • Map Library representative (currently Ms A. Taylor, University of Cambridge)

 

In addition, any UK member of the ICA Executive is invited to join and all UK Commission chairs and vice-chairs are corresponding members of the Committee.