Next Week – Join Us at Kirkley Hall!
After months of planning, the AFI & AFA Autumn Best Practice Day is almost here!
On Thursday 15th October, we’ll be at Northumberland College – Kirkley Hall Campus for a day dedicated to practical fencing skills, sharing knowledge and promoting best practice across the industry.
And if you’ve been meaning to book but haven’t quite got around to it – this is your reminder!
Come and learn from some of the best
The practical side of the day will be led by experienced working fencing contractors, including national and international fencing competition winners.
This isn’t about sitting in a classroom being told how to fence. It’s an opportunity to see techniques demonstrated in a practical environment, ask questions, compare methods and benefit from the experience of others working in the industry every day.
Whether you’ve been fencing for decades, are developing your skills or have an apprentice or employee who would benefit from coming along, there’s something to take away from the day.
- Practical, hands-on demonstrations
- Experienced fencing professionals
- Techniques and ideas to take back to site
- Contractors, manufacturers and suppliers
- Plenty of opportunities to ask questions and share knowledge
And at just £15 per person – including a breakfast roll and hot drink on arrival plus lunch – it’s a great-value day away from site.
We’ll see you next week!
- Thursday 15th October 2026
- 9am–3pm
- Northumberland College – Kirkley Hall Campus, NE20 0AQ
- £15 per person including catering
There’s still time to join us – but don’t leave it until the last minute.
BOOK YOUR PLACE
Already booked? Brilliant – we look forward to seeing you at Kirkley Hall!
What Do Consumers Really Want From Home Improvement Businesses?
TrustMark has published new research looking at what consumers expect when having work carried out in and around their homes – and what would give them greater confidence and protection when choosing a business.
The Consumer Protection in Home Improvements: Building a Consumer-Centric Approach report was commissioned by TrustMark and is based on research involving more than 1,500 consumers.
It explores consumers’ understanding of the protections currently available to them, the issues they experience when having home improvement work undertaken, and the measures they would like to see in place to provide greater reassurance.
For fencing contractors working in the domestic market, the findings are particularly relevant. Customer expectations around professionalism, transparency, financial protection and what happens if something goes wrong are increasingly important parts of the decision-making process – alongside the quality of the finished work itself.
TrustMark has shared the findings with Government departments, consumer organisations, trade associations, certification bodies and the wider home improvement sector, with the research intended to help inform future changes to consumer protection.
As an AFI Scheme Provider for TrustMark, we would encourage members carrying out domestic work to take a look at the findings and consider what they tell us about the expectations of today’s customers.
What does good consumer protection look like from the customer’s point of view?
READ THE TRUSTMARK CONSUMER PROTECTION REPORT
Government Skills Reform
To help more young people gain exposure to the workplace, the Government has announced a new ‘National Mission on Work Experience’, which aims to create 200,000 additional work experience placements in key sectors including construction, with Mayors and local authorities helping to make links between employers and schools.
We know from Open Doors that young people are interested in joining our industry, and members can get involved in the new initiative by contacting their local Careers Hub to offer work experience placements. Careers Hubs, which are supported by The Careers and Enterprise Company, an Open Doors partner, cover 96% of schools and colleges in England and provide an easy way for members to showcase their opportunities and pathways available into our sector.
The Government has also confirmed that new vocational GCSEs will be created to sit alongside traditional GCSEs, delivering on the Prime Minister’s pledge to put technical education on an equal footing with the traditional academic path. The new GCSEs, which will replace the current Technical Awards, are set to be available from September 2029 following a consultation later this year, with Building and Construction one of the potential subjects to be developed.
Skills England is reviewing the current system of occupational standards and the products they underpin, which include apprenticeships and T‐Levels. Members who have occupational standards for their sector may wish to share their views via this survey until Friday 16 October.
Come and see the AFI at FutureScape!
The AFI will be exhibiting at FutureScape on 13–14 October, and we’d love to see you there!
Board members Adam Binns, Alan Watkins and Charlotte Peterson will be on the stand, ready to catch up with members and introduce new faces to the association.
Whether you’d like to find out more about making the most of your membership, share your thoughts on the industry or simply stop by for a chat, please come and say hello. It’s always good to catch up in person!
Know someone who’s considering joining the AFI? Bring them along to meet the team and discover how we can support their business.
Planning your visit? Find out more at www.futurescapeevent.com.
Cost of Doing Business – Spotlight on Construction
Ahead of the Budget later this month, Build UK is working with the CBI to make the case that easing the cost of living starts with tackling the cost of doing business. The ‘Room to Grow’ report, published last month, brings together evidence from 15 sectors to highlight the real‐world pressure that businesses are under, and the focus of the campaign this week is on construction and how to reduce costs for the whole supply chain.
The ‘deep dive’ on construction, published alongside the CBI report with the support of Build UK, shows that the sector’s overall tax contribution increased by 11.9% to £21.94 billion in 2025/26, including a 24.8% rise in employer National Insurance contributions. Cost pressures are also being driven by higher material prices, labour shortages and rising finance costs. A collective communications effort could really help to highlight the need for practical reforms in the Budget, and members are encouraged to share the report, which will be featured on social media across this week.
Common Assessment Standard
Willmott Dixon has become the latest Build UK member to specify the Common Assessment Standard for its pre‐qualification requirements, joining a growing list of organisations across both the public and private sectors using the Common Assessment Standard to demonstrate the organisational capability of their supply chains.
Members of the supply chain can obtain certification from any one of the Recognised Assessment Bodies in order to tender for work with organisations specifying the Common Assessment Standard. Once certified by a Recognised Assessment Body, a supplier can use the Common Assessment Standard logo and does not need to obtain certification again from any others. Instead, they can agree to share their data at no cost with the other Recognised Assessment Bodies so it is visible to more Contractors and Clients who may have a preferred Recognised Assessment Body for managing their supply chain information.
An updated version of the Common Assessment Standard will be published on 1 November 2026, with significant changes to the Building Safety and Quality sections to reflect that scaffolding and temporary works are not in scope of the Building Regulations which regulate ‘building work’, unless they form part of the structure once complete. Other changes reflect updated legislation and guidance, including fraud prevention and information security.
Member Benefit Spotlight: Protect Your Business with Acrisure
From vehicles and equipment to premises, employees and liability risks, having the right insurance in place is an important part of protecting your fencing business.
Through its partnership with AFI, Acrisure provides specialist commercial insurance and risk management solutions designed around the needs of fencing businesses.
Cover can be tailored to businesses of different sizes, with options including:
- Liabilities, property, contract works and business interruption
- Vehicle, cyber and technology risks
- Cover for hazardous and high-risk locations, including rail, airside, nuclear and offshore
- A lower £250 excess, compared with £500+ typically charged in the market
- Additional protection including accidental asbestos exposure, terrorism and financial loss
- Dedicated in-house claims support
Acrisure can also support businesses with trade credit, healthcare and employee benefits, cyber and technology, and wider risk management.
Whether your insurance renewal is approaching, your business has changed, or you simply want to check that your current arrangements still provide the protection you need, AFI members are encouraged to speak to Acrisure’s specialist team.
Your business changes – has your insurance kept up?
Find out more: www.acrisure.co.uk/afi
TWiltshire@acrisure.com