have been replaced by postgraduate level courses. The college maintains an Accreditation and Approval Board which aims to protect patients of radiographers by raising the standards of education and practice. It does so by monitoring and assessing programmes of both pre-registration degree courses and ongoing professional education ranging from ad-hoc events to professional postgraduate training. The college runs courses and conferences. Various guidances and guidelines are published by the CoR often in conjunction with the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM), the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), the British Institute of Radiology (BIR) and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). Research grants are awarded by the college. An academic library is maintained. Further activities to promote the public interest includes the provision of advice to the public and to government and government agencies and activities to promote public awareness of radiography, radiology and oncology. Information on the activities of the CoR is published on the website of the UK's Charity Commission. Trade Union activities The society has a membership base throughout the United Kingdom. As such, the Trade Union is associated with the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the United Kingdom and with the Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC). The organisation was previously associated with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions(ICTU) but it left in 2013 citing financial constraints as the reason. In 2003, before leaving and whilst still in affliction with the ICTU, the society opposed a motion to restrict affiliation of small unions with the ICTU stating that the motion was "about bureaucracy." The Society of Radiographers Benevolent Fund The Society of Radiographers Benevolent Fund is a registered charity (No. 326398) and it assists SoR members, former members and their families in times of hardship or distress and in particular the old, the sick and the incapacitated among members and former members. Information on the activities of the Benevolent Fund is published on the website of the UK's Charity Commission. Publications The SCoR issues a number of publications: Imaging and Therapy Practice Imaging and Therapy Practice provides in-depth coverage of the latest professional and educational issues that affect the day-to-day working lives of therapy and diagnostic radiographers. The publication was known as Synergy: Imaging and Therapy Practice up until January 2013. The editor is Melanie Armstrong. Synergy News Synergy News is a news digest of what is happening in radiography and the wider healthcare arena. Topics