🏆 Get Your Entries In – UK Fencing Industry Awards 2025!
The countdown is on for the biggest celebration in the fencing calendar – the UK Fencing Industry Awards 2025, taking place on Thursday 13th November at Mercedes-Benz World.
Entries are now open across all categories – from Agricultural & Equine to Security, Highways & Railways, Apprentice of the Year, and our brand-new Supplier of the Year category. Whether you’re a contractor, supplier, or rising star in the industry, this is your chance to shine.
The evening will include a champagne reception, three-course dinner, guest speaker, and the F1 simulator challenge– with a prize for the fastest lap on the night!
Don’t miss the opportunity to showcase your best work and gain industry-wide recognition. Get your submission in today – because as always, you’ve got to be in it to win it.
📍 Entry details can be found at: www.afiorg.uk
Common Assessment Standard
Build UK is finalising an updated version of the Common Assessment Standard for publication on 1 July 2025, which will ensure it remains relevant and up to date and can be used to demonstrate companies across the supply chain have the organisational capability to fulfil their duties under the Building Safety Act.
A year on from its introduction in July 2024, the Building Safety section will be updated and become mandatory for all companies carrying out design or building work under the Act. Version 5 will also contain key updates to both the Environmental and Fairness, Inclusion & Respect (FIR) sections to reflect the latest legislation and guidance. Companies will be required to complete the updated question set when they next go through the certification process for the Common Assessment Standard with a Recognised Assessment Body after 1 July.
The Common Assessment Standard is used by a growing list of organisations across the public and private sectors. This includes a number of Build UK Trade Association members who accept it as part of their membership audit schemes – ASUC, BCSA, BESA, FIS, HAE and IPAF – further reducing duplication and cost for the supply chain.
To support the continued development of the Common Assessment Standard, the name and logo have been registered as trademarks with the Intellectual Property Office, which will prevent other organisations from using the Common Assessment Standard brand without permission.
FenceX 2025 – Final Stand Availability & Record-Breaking Destruction Testing Line-Up
Momentum is building for FenceX 2025 – now just months away – and excitement is at an all-time high. With the largest-ever destruction testing schedule at a UK fencing show, FenceX will showcase live testing from leading manufacturers including Alexandra, Barkers, Zaun, CLA, CLD, IAE, First Fence and Henry Squire & Sons.
Indoor stand space is now almost 70% sold and now outdoor space is also available as part of the AFI & AFA Best Practice Day, which returns after a sell-out spring edition.
🚀 Don’t miss out – exhibitors and visitors can find everything they need at www.fencex.com
🎟️ Visitor entry is free – and includes a complimentary bacon roll if booked in advance!
To enquire about exhibiting, email fencex@theafi.co.uk.
New Identity Verification Requirement
Following the introduction of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act to improve transparency over UK companies and tackle economic crime, the Government has announced a voluntary period for individuals running businesses to verify their identity with Companies House before it becomes a legal requirement later this year.
Best Practice Day – This Wednesday!
We’re excited to be hosting the first AFI & AFA Best Practice Day of 2025 this Wednesday, 30th April, at Harper Adams University in Shropshire.
This sold-out event will bring together fencing professionals from across the country for a full day of practical demonstrations, technical advice, and industry insight – all delivered by some of the UK’s most respected contractors and competition winners.
📍 Venue: Harper Adams University, Edgmond, Newport, Shropshire
🕘 Start Time: 9:00am – with breakfast baps and hot drinks served on arrival
🚗 Parking: Weston car park (orange on the campus map) – car sharing encouraged!
📍 Registration & Breakfast: Regional Food Academy (Building 14)
We’d like to thank our event sponsors Tornado Wire, Scanpole, and Fetra for their generous support, and look forward to welcoming our delegates for a day packed with learning, networking, and hands-on best practice.
If you have a ticket you can no longer use – or would like to attend but missed out – please email info@theafi.co.uk and we’ll do our best to match any returns with those on the waiting list.
NISTA CEO Appointed
Build UK Response to CITB Consensus
Thank you to all those members who responded to our CITB Consensus survey and shared their views on the Levy proposals for 2026‐2029. We achieved a 100% response rate from our Contractor members liable to pay the Levy and as a ‘Prescribed Organisation’ will be submitting a collective response to CITB on behalf of our Contractor and Trade Association members by the deadline of Friday 9 May. The Build UK response will be accompanied by our updated ‘Levy In – Skills Out’ proposal setting out the core elements of a skills system required to recruit, train and retain the talent the industry needs. CITB is expected to confirm the outcome of Consensus by the end of May. If it is achieved, a new Levy Order will then be made by the Secretary of State authorising CITB to collect a Levy from in-scope employers until 2029.
CITB has published its Business Plan 2025-26, which outlines how it will address the skills challenges facing the industry over the next 12 months by:
- Inspiring and enabling diverse and skilled people into construction
- Developing a training and skills system to meet current and future needs
- Supporting the industry to train, develop and retain its workforce.
CITB has identified three metrics against which it will measure performance compared to the previous year: 5% increase in the number of new entrants, 6%
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