Welcome BRIAN BERRY
M ost building out from the competition and demonstrate their excellence. The 14-point check system
“There is a big opportunity and necessity to drive up standards in an industry where anyone can claim to be a competent builder.”
the FMB will support licensing over the coming months. Financial instability can have a significant impact on mental and physical wellbeing. Our feature on pages 26-29 looks at the extent of the problem and how those who are struggling can access support. On pages 32-33, we hear from employee Connor Gridley and employer Nik Nelberg from Earl and Calam Design and Build Ltd about what it means to give someone a second chance. In a time of acute skills shortages, employing prison leavers offers a practical solution while helping to turn lives around. The UK is blessed with a magnificent built environment ranging from cob cottages in the West Country to granite and stone houses in the North. This year, Bradford is the UK city of culture and what a fitting opportunity to speak with Tom Henderson, Managing Director of Earlswood Construction, which completed the relocation of the Peace Museum to Salts Mill, a notable city landmark in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Saltaire (pages 24-25). Finally, every edition brings us closer to the 2025 Master Builder Awards, with the first regional ceremony scheduled in April. Find out on page 37 where and when your local celebrations will take place, as we head to the national event in September.
companies join the FMB because of the credibility it gives them to stand
and important building inspection required before becoming an FMB member underpin what it means to be a Master Builder and give clients and homeowners assurance. Given that a third of homeowners are reluctant to have work done to their homes because of concerns about who to go to, there is a big opportunity and necessity to drive up standards in an industry where anyone can claim to be a competent builder without any experience or qualifications. The situation seems to be even worse for younger people in their twenties – the Gen Z generation. The FMB and TrustMark have conducted research that shows Gen Z is most likely to have negative experiences with tradespeople. Find out more on pages 34-35. The FMB has long argued that this situation is unsatisfactory and there needs to be a licensing scheme for building companies. Attempts to persuade governments of all colours haven’t yet succeeded, despite the Grenfell Inquiry report calling for the licensing of principal contactors. Later this month there will be a debate in the House of Commons when the Conservative MP Mark Garnier tables a Private Member’s Bill calling for the licensing of domestic building companies. Word at Westminster on page 15 gives us an update on what to expect and how
BRIAN BERRY, Chief Executive Federation of Master Builders
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Master Builder
www.fmb.org.uk
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