Five Weeks to Go – Join Us at Kirkley Hall!
There are now just over five weeks to go until the AFI & AFA Autumn Best Practice Day arrives at Northumberland College – Kirkley Hall Campus on Thursday 15th October.
If you’ve been thinking about coming along, now’s the time to get your ticket booked!
The Best Practice Day is all about getting hands-on, sharing knowledge and learning from others in the industry. It’s a chance to step away from the everyday pressures of site and spend a day focused on improving skills, seeing best practice in action and picking up ideas you can take back to work.
Whether you’re an experienced contractor, employee or apprentice, there’ll be something to take away from the day.
- Practical demonstrations and hands-on learning
- Experienced industry professionals sharing their knowledge
- Tips and techniques you can take back to site
- Suppliers, manufacturers and fellow fencing contractors to meet
- Plenty of opportunities to ask questions and exchange ideas
And we’ve deliberately kept the cost accessible.
For just £15, you’ll get the full day plus a breakfast roll and hot drink on arrival and lunch included.
Get Kirkley Hall in the diary
- Thursday 15th October 2026
- 9.00am – 3.00pm
- Northumberland College – Kirkley Hall Campus, Kirkley, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE20 0AQ
- Tickets £15 including catering
Five weeks will disappear quickly – don’t leave booking until the last minute!
And why not bring someone from your team along too? Best Practice Days are a great opportunity for employees and apprentices to learn, get involved and spend time with others working in the industry.
Crackdown on ‘Cowboy’ Builders
The Prime Minister has announced new measures to tackle rogue tradesmen as part of his ‘everyday fixes’ to help people with the cost of living. From this autumn, businesses working in the home improvement sector will be able to sign up to a new ‘Approved Code’ to demonstrate they meet higher standards of customer service and dispute resolution.
With research showing that more than one in four adults who carried out home improvements work in the past 18 months experienced problems, the Government has also endorsed the new Trusted Payments app. The app, which is working with TrustMark, will ensure that payments are directly linked to key project milestones and will provide insurance‐backed project and completion warranties. With a multitude of existing options and new proposals for reforming consumer protection for home upgrades, Build UK is following up with the different Government departments involved to understand how all the schemes will fit together and be communicated to businesses and consumers.
Martyn’s Law – New Resources Available
The Home Office has released two new animations to help organisations understand the requirements of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act, commonly known as Martyn’s Law.
The short animations provide a simple introduction to the four public protection procedures set out in the Act — evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication — as well as the four public protection measures covering monitoring, movement, physical safety and security, and information sharing.
For members responsible for premises or events, the resources offer a useful starting point for understanding the requirements and considering how their organisation may need to prepare.
Further guidance and supporting resources, including the statutory guidance, are also available through ProtectUK.
Watch the new animations and access the Martyn’s Law resources
Come and See AFI at the APF Show!
The AFI team will be at the APF Show 24-26th September, and we’d love to see you there!
If you’re heading along, make sure you come and say hello at the AFI stand in the Fencing Village. Whether you’re already an AFI member, interested in finding out more about membership, or simply fancy a chat about what’s happening across the fencing industry, we’ll be pleased to see you.
We’ll also have some demonstrations on the stand, with practical skills and techniques on display, including knot work, and an opportunity to stop by, watch, ask questions and talk fencing with us.
It’s also a great opportunity to catch up with fellow contractors, suppliers and familiar faces from across the sector.
Look out for the AFI stand and come and see us!
Jobs Guarantee Pilot Launched
As part of the drive to tackle youth unemployment, the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) has announced that the first cohort of young people have started work through the Jobs Guarantee scheme, which provides a fully funded, six‐month paid job to 18 to 24 year olds who have been on Universal Credit and looking for work for at least 18 months.
- A pilot scheme is currently available to employers in the following areas: Birmingham and Solihull, East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire and Essex,Central and East Scotland,and South East and South West Wales.
- To be eligible for funding, employers must offer a paid role for up to six months at a minimum of 25 hours per week (unless fewer hours are agreed to meet individual needs). They must pay at least the age‐relevant National Minimum Wage, in line with similar roles in their organisation, and not replace existing staff or reduce their hours.
- Employers located in one of the pilot areas have until 31 October to employ a young person through the relevant delivery partner, which will match them with suitable candidates for their role. National employers with vacancies across multiple pilot areas can email the DWP Strategic Relationship Team.
- The DWP will cover 100% of wage costs at the relevant National Minimum Wage up to 25 hours per week, plus employer National Insurance and pension contributions. DWP will also pay up to £250 for onboarding each young person and provide training and ongoing support to help them progress in their job.
Part of the Youth Guarantee scheme, the Jobs Guarantee is expected to be rolled out nationally later this year, and the DWP has produced a guide for employers with more information on how to get involved.
Member Benefit Spotlight: Save on CHAS Membership
AFI membership could help you save on your CHAS accreditation.
Through the AFI’s member benefits, members can access exclusive discounts on CHAS membership:
- 20% off new CHAS memberships
- 10% off CHAS renewals
For contractors already using CHAS, that’s a straightforward saving on a cost you may already be paying. And if you’re considering CHAS for the first time, the 20% new membership discount makes it even more worthwhile to access it through AFI.
It’s another practical way your AFI membership can help reduce the everyday costs of running your business.
Interested? Log into the member area to get the discount code!