With the holidays starting for some of us, it’s always a good time to reflect on a few things which have taken place so far and to look ahead at some of the other things being planned for the rest of the year.
New South Area Board members
Following the Area Board elections in late May, new board members were elected for both Southern Counties and the South West boards. Made up of members from across the region, these boards represent you and the issues you face and are a key part of the FMB’s governance. Look out for future updates on some of the issues they’ve been covering.
Opportunities for members at the Homebuilding and Renovating shows
We’ve also been at the Homebuilding and Renovating shows which take place across the UK, including the Farnborough and Surrey where FMB members took part in the Advice Centres and also presented on key topics including how to choose a builder. These consumer-facing shows are a fantastic way to promote the excellent work of Master Builders and I know the members who take part always find it really beneficial (including job leads!) We’ll also be at the Somerset Homebuilding and Renovating Show near Shepton Mallet on 16 & 17 November so if you’d like to support this one as well, just let me know.
FMB member projects across the South
I was recently invited by a couple of members to visit some of their projects in Oxfordshire. My thanks to Delroy Ireson from Ireson Bailey who showed me round a pub and hotel renovation in an incredible historic building in the heart of Burford and to Nikki Lambert from Lambert Home Builds (also one of the new members to join the Southern Counties Board) who gave me a tour of a family home renovation and extension they were working on which was incorporating a number of energy efficient measures. Finally, my thanks to National Board Vice President, Phillip Hall from Hall Construction who took time out to meet with me and share his journey in to construction while I was in Oxfordshire.
South West area Golf Day
Looking ahead, on 6 September, the South West Area Board are holding their golf day, supported by headline sponsor Next-Tech and refreshment sponsor Trade Point, in aid of the FMB’s national charity partner, Lighthouse Club, at the Thornbury Golf Club. Last year’s was such a success, the Board are looking forward to welcoming even more members this year with an option for those who aren’t players but would like to network with fellow members and industry stakeholders from across the region. It promises to be a great day. Full details, including how to book and hole sponsorship can be found here here.
Kent Construction Expo
If you’re one of the 1,200 Southern Counties members who are based in Kent, then I’ll be at the Kent Construction Expo on 3 October. A free event, it’s one of are area’s key construction events and there will be speakers and sessions on key topics including Biodiversity Net Gain, Nutrient Neutrality, Building Safety and Working With Housing Associations. If you’re planning on going along, do let me know as it’d be great to meet up.
FMB app launch
And finally, it’s been great chatting with many of you via the recently launched FMB app. With more of you joining every day, it’s a great resource to access your member benefits, keep up to date with industry news and to network with members. There are also regionally specific communities for both Southern Counties and South West and I look forward to connecting with even more of you soon.
Get in touch
If you’d like to get involved in representing the FMB at events or getting involved in some other way or, if there’s an issue you’ve faced, a success you’d like to share or something else you’d like to chat about, please do get in touch.
Authors
Iain Kirtley
With over 20 years’ experience of membership bodies, not for profit organisations and the private sector, Iain joined the FMB in August 2023 from the Chartered Institute of Building where he worked with construction companies of all sizes to support them with training, development and accreditation.
