Trade association update: December

Melanie Leech, CEO of the British Property Federation

What have been the highlights of your year, as a sector and as an association? 

We have focused hard on creating and delivering value for members – and delivered a total of 244 meetings and events during the year with nearly 5,500 attendees. Our fantastic young professionals network, BPF Futures, grew by almost a quarter to a community of more than 1600 diverse individuals. On the policy front the highlight was the Autumn Statement announcement on business rates – freezing the multiplier and reforming transitional relief so that business seeing lower bills as a result of the revaluation in April 23, see the benefit straight away. 

What are you most proud of in your sector and how has your association been supporting/leading your members?

This year we launched the BPF Net Zero Pledge – an ambition for all of our members to sign up – to a net zero target and plan, share best practice and support one another.

Our intention is to drive radical collaboration across the sector – and this is happening in a number of other ways too with a new initiative just launched to create a single net zero carbon buildings standard for the sector. Despite a challenging political and economic backdrop there is no diminishment in our sector’s commitment to tackling carbon reduction. 

What are you most excited about for 2023?

2023 is the 60th anniversary of the creation of the BPF and provides a fantastic platform to showcase the achievements of our sector and how we have shaped the UK’s urban landscape, and to celebrate our past, present and future impact creating the places where we all live, learn, work and relax. 

Hellen Ward, Salon Employers Association

What have been the highlights of your year, as a sector and as an association? 

Joining the CBI has been a real achievement as we are the only association in our sector who are members. We’ve been working away behind the scenes and have garnered support about the need for PAYE operating, VAT paying salon owners to be safeguarded as our members are the only businesses who can employ apprentices -  highlighting the need to safeguard our business model and protect the next generation of hairdressers is critical. 

What are you most proud of in your sector and how has your association been supporting/leading your members?

We are very proud that we have been fighting for our salon owners – many of whom are SME’s and as we are unregulated, we have become their voice for change. The hard work has really just started but we’ve had some meetings with other sector associations which has resulted in us aligning with the Hair & Barber Council who have the statutory mandate for regulation. So, we are making headway in getting the tax reform and change we need to level up the different business models that are currently operating in the sector.

What are you most excited about for 2023?

As far as we are concerned, 2023 has to be the year we get some permanent reform for our sector. We are planning roadshows and events to garner support for our campaign work. We are an undervalued sector but remain the beating heart of the British high street, and as one of the biggest employers of apprentices we are a force for good, not just in terms of the cyclical business that we bring to every village, town and city in the country,  but moreover the unique investment we make into the training and development of young people. Our industry is one of the few remaining relationship-based, personal customer experiences and we look after not just the physical well being of our clienteles but often the emotional wellbeing, too.  We are a vital sector which has often been overlooked in the past and as SEA we will rise to this challenge for recognition, levelling up and appreciation.

Brian Berry, CEO of the Federation of Master Builders

What have been the highlights of your year, as a sector and as an association? 

It’s been encouraging to see the campaign for a national retrofit strategy gain momentum this year, within and beyond the construction sector. The FMB has been leading this work on behalf of the Construction Leadership Council and through our own thought leadership, for example partnering with IPPR to propose solutions to the green skills gap, and how retrofit and small builders’ role in this is an obvious way to foster growth and level up.  

What are you most proud of in your sector and how has your association been supporting/leading your members?

I’m particularly proud of the resilience of small, local building companies in 2022. Brexit, COVID-19, supply chain disruption, inflation and cost of living pressures have piled cumulative pressure on the smallest firms. This year the FMB has innovated, mindful of the need to make business easier for our members. From introducing a new health and safety add-on to membership, to a webinar programme on business resilience, to breaking down complex regulatory changes into quick to access guides, we’ve made sure small builders know where to turn when things get tough.   

What are you most excited about for 2023?

Supporting and celebrating our members will be watch words for the FMB in 2023. We’ll be launching a mentoring programme, and our stellar Master Builder Awards. I’m also excited by the momentum building as we get closer to the general election. There will be lots of opportunities to get the voices of small building firms and sole traders heard.

Geraldine Bolton, CEO the Confederation of British Metalforming

What have been the highlights of your year, as a sector and as an association? 

We made a strategic decision at the beginning of 2022, to increase our lobbying efforts.  Significant resources were put into this and it is fair to say that the CBM have been punching above our weight, gaining some very satisfactory results for the metalforming sector, and generating much media interest.  One of the big successes in this area for 2022 was the Secretary of State for Trade confirming the UK safeguarding measures would be further extended for two years on nine categories, including category 12 which has had a significant financial impact on our sector - saving several £million in the months since.

What are you most proud of in your sector and how has your association been supporting/leading your members?

I’m proud we are an organisation that is listened to, called upon, and supported by Government and many stakeholders, to be the voice of the metalforming industry and to have a platform both nationally and internationally to represent our member interests.  This has been achieved by having a very knowledgeable team of experts in post at CBM who understand the industry challenges that CBM members face.

What are you most excited about for 2023?

I’m excited about continuing to grow membership throughout 2023.  The higher profile and good work that we’ve achieved has encouraged more companies to join the Association throughout 2022 and we look forward to continuing this trend throughout the New Year.