Countdown to the UK Fencing Awards 2025!
The countdown is on! In just over two weeks’ time, the fencing industry will gather for the UK Fencing Awards 2025 – an evening of celebration, recognition, and connection at the iconic Mercedes-Benz World, Weybridge, on Thursday 13th November.
This year’s event promises to be our biggest and most exciting yet, with a record number of entries, an expanded range of categories, and a growing community of sponsors and judges who’ve helped make it all possible.
Guests will enjoy a champagne reception a three-course dinner, and the thrilling F1 simulator challenge – with a prize for the fastest lap of the night! The evening will also feature our very special guest speaker, Perry McCarthy – the original Stig from Top Gear, who’ll be sharing stories from his time in motorsport and on-screen.
We’ll be revealing this year’s winners across 12 categories, celebrating the talent, innovation and professionalism that continue to drive our industry forward.
🎟️ A few tickets are still available – so if you’d like to join us for the fencing industry’s biggest night of the year, please email victoria@theafi.co.uk to secure your place.
It’s going to be an evening to remember – we can’t wait to see so many of you there to celebrate another fantastic year for the UK fencing industry.
Speeding Up Infrastructure Delivery
The Government has announced further amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to ‘get Britain building faster’. The Bill, which is expected to become law by the end of this year, aims to streamline the planning system to support the Government’s ambition to deliver 1.5 million homes and make decisions on 150 major infrastructure projects by the end of this Parliament.
Construction is at the heart of the Government’s plans to kickstart economic growth, and the amendments to the Bill, which are currently being considered by the House of Lords, include:
The Chancellor has also outlined new proposals to reduce the length of time that judicial reviews take for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, which is currently over a year. Only four of the 34 infrastructure projects that have faced judicial reviews since 2008 have been upheld, and the proposed measures should reduce the time taken by around six months.
Building on the discussion with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury at the Build UK AGM last month, a group of members joined a roundtable at HM Treasury this week to provide feedback directly to NISTA on the new Infrastructure Pipeline. The meeting focused on how the pipeline could be used to support business planning and the data that should be included in the next iteration of the pipeline due to be published in early 2026.
New Website, Same Great Benefits – and Even Easier Access!
We’re excited to announce the launch of the new AFI website, designed to make it easier than ever for members to access all your exclusive tools, templates, and support in one place.
Next week, all members will receive an email with a new password to log in to the Members’ Area – please keep an eye on your inbox and update your login details when prompted.
Once inside, you’ll find everything you need to make the most of your AFI membership, including:
🔹 Risk assessment and method statement templates
🔹 Customer care and business policy documents
🔹 Access to free legal, H&S, and employment advice
🔹 Member discounts and partner offers
🔹 Training information and industry updates
Don’t forget – your membership also includes FREE TrustMark registration, helping you stand out as a trusted, government-recognised fencing professional.
If you need any help accessing the new site once your login details arrive, just drop us a line at info@theafi.co.uk – we’ll be happy to help.
Payment Consultation
Build UK, working with the AFI has submitted a comprehensive response to the Late Payments Consultation, providing an industry-wide view on the proposed
measures designed to ensure small businesses are paid on time. We highlighted the opportunity to build on the progress made in construction to date by prioritising enforcement of existing regulations before strengthening the requirements.
FenceX 2025 – A Record-Breaking Success!
The dust has settled on FenceX 2025, and what an incredible day it was for the UK fencing industry!
Held at NAEC Stoneleigh on 15th October, FenceX 2025 attracted record visitor numbers, with hundreds of professionals joining us to see the latest products, innovations, and demonstrations from more than 80 exhibitors.
Visitors were treated to:
💥 The largest-ever destruction testing schedule at a UK fencing event
⚙️ Live Gate Automation demonstrations led by the DHF & First Fence
🌿 The AFI & AFA Best Practice Day with outdoor timber and metal fencing demonstrations
🎤 A packed programme of seminars on standards, apprenticeships, safety, and business essentials
🥓 And, of course, free breakfast rolls for our pre-registered delegates — the perfect start to a busy and inspiring day!
The feedback from exhibitors, visitors, and sponsors has been overwhelmingly positive, confirming FenceX as the must-attend event for anyone in the fencing trade.
Celebrating Excellence – FenceX Stand Awards
We were delighted to introduce our brand-new FenceX Stand Awards this year, recognising the effort, creativity, and professionalism shown by our exhibitors both inside the hall and out on the demonstration field.
🏅 Indoor Stand Winners:
🥇 1st Place – QAB Systems
🥈 2nd Place – Alexandra Security
🥉 3rd Place – Siddall & Hilton
🏅 Outdoor Stand Winners:
🥇 1st Place – Calders & Grandidge
🥈 2nd Place –McVeigh Parker
🥉 3rd Place – M&M Timber
Congratulations to all our winners — and thank you to every exhibitor for helping make the show floor such a vibrant, engaging, and professional space
“FenceX 2025 has shown the strength and innovation of the UK fencing industry,” said Pete Clark, CEO of the Association of Fencing Industries. “From the scale of the event to the quality of exhibitors, there was a real sense of energy and collaboration that will carry the industry forward.”
Stay tuned for more photos, highlights, and the official post-event video — coming soon on www.fencex.com and across the AFI social channels
Identity Verification
From Tuesday 18 November, it will be a legal requirement for company directors to verify their identity with Companies House for each company that they are a director of, as part of the company’s next confirmation statement. Individuals can verify their identity by supplying the evidence requested via their GOV.UK One Login or an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).
- Stopping planning permissions from being timed out for approved major housing schemes facing lengthy judicial reviews
- Ministers being able to issue ‘holding directions’ to stop councils refusing planning permission whilst they consider using their ‘call-in’ powers to approve a decision
- Speeding up the approval process for large reservoirs by allowing non-water sector companies to build reservoirs that are automatically considered as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects
- Making it easier to gain approval for onshore windfarms.