Welcome BRIAN BERRY
T he new government has made many promises, but questions remain unanswered, particularly about skills development and how small and medium-sized builders are going to play a role in reaching the government’s ambitious housing target. It’s a topic both the FMB National President, Chris Carr, and I having been speaking about with national media including BBC Breakfast and Sky News, highlighting the role the FMB and our members can play in training new recruits and building the quality houses the UK needs. The FMB’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Jeremy Gray, assesses the government’s performance so far on page 15, and FMB members share strategies they believe the government should implement to fix the skills shortage (page 17). As political change takes hold, FMB members continue doing what they do best: deliver projects of exceptional quality – as seen by Mack Construction’s (page 16) conversion of an old Sheffield house into a beautiful four-bedroom, energy efficient, family home. While a significant majority of members uphold the FMB’s high standards, there are occasions when some do not. FMB Director of Membership, Hayley Lorimer, explains on page 20 what the FMB Standards Committee does and why a member was recently expelled. FMB Digital Manager, Liz Porter, reveals new features launched in the FMB member app (page 19), enabling members to showcase their expertise and boost visibility.
“As political change takes hold, FMB members continue doing what they do best: deliver projects of exceptional quality.”
To promote safe practices on construction sites, our health and safety round-up (page 21) looks at the dangers of silicosis, caused by inhaling dust from artificial stone. Creating enticing workplaces is what FMB members do, which is plain to see when reading our interview on page 23 with plasterer Alan Shand, who retires after 50 years of service at Scottish FMB member Allan Robertson and Son. Employers looking to develop their teams will benefit from the Construction Industry Training Board’s (CITB) Employer Networks in England, Wales and Scotland (pages 28-29), which will simplify access to training funds. With retrofit being such a strong potential pipeline of work for our members, it’s marvellous to read about energy efficiency upgrades on heritage homes on pages 24-27. On page 39, FMB Scotland Director Gordon Nelson’s reports back from the popular Green Home Festival, part of the world- famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In exciting news, nominations for the 2025 Master Builder Awards will open this autumn (pages 30-33), featuring a few new awards categories. This means members can increase their opportunities to submit an awards entry, and showcase their fantastic work. Good luck. I am sure they will be excellent.
BRIAN BERRY, Chief Executive Federation of Master Builders
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Master Builder
www.fmb.org.uk
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