Earlier this year Dr Black, currently Head of Department of Information and Software Systems at the University of Westminster, fronted a national media campaign to help preserve the fabric of the buildings at Bletchley Park Trust. Last week it was told it had been awarded a heritage lottery grant of £460,500 to help it develop its £10m restoration plans. Dr Black was also instrumental along with others in supporting a special BCS ceremony at Bletchley in 2007 that recognised the contribution of the Bombe WRN operatives and the role they played in helping the park's cryptographers during the Second World War.

John Orton, BCS Director, Membership, says: 'Dr Black has made a number of key contributions to BCS, from our growing women membership, to encouraging many girls and women to see a career in IT as an exciting and achievable goal. Her work has helped highlight the issue of low recruitment and retention of women in computing, paving the way for the social and cultural changes needed for women to play their part in helping BCS enable the information society.'

The John Ivinson Award is awarded by BCS Member Services Board in recognition and appreciation of member services and only BCS members may receive it. It is for members who have provided outstanding service, the benefits of which span the whole of BCS and are permanent, and where the winner has advanced the standing of BCS across a number of areas and disciplines.

Dr Black founded BCSWomen in 2001 and is also a member of BCS Women's Forum Strategic Panel, as well as a number of other specialist groups. She is also a member of the BCS Qualifications and Standards Board and has sat on its Nominations Committee. She is a committee member of the BCS Central London Branch.

John Ivinson, former BCS President from 2002-3, died in July 2007 aged 63. He joined BCS in 1967 and held many posts, including chairman of the Technical Board, the Royal Charter Committee, the International Policy Committee and the Professional and Public Affairs Board.