As the FMB National President, Derek Bostock comes to the mid-point of his two-year term in office, we review the past year and see what his plans are for the rest of his presidency.
My first year as your National President is almost complete, and during this time I have travelled to all corners of the United Kingdom representing FMB, and have attended some very important events.
My year started with the FMB National Conference in York which was, according to many who attended, perhaps one of the best so far. As the year moved on, I attended the Annual Business Conference in Northern Ireland, which despite the arctic conditions was well attended and a great success. 2010 ended with the FMB London Region Ball where again, the terrible weather affected attendance, but did not detract from this excellent event.
HIGHS…
One of the greatest highlights of 2011 was the Master Builder of the Year Awards which was attended by over 500 people at a new venue in London. The awards were presented by property expert, Phil Spencer, who carried out his role with complete professionalism, making the event a fantastic success.
…AND LOWS
Easily the saddest event of the whole year occurred just two weeks later with the death of our Vice-President, Neal Etchells. Only a week before he died, I sat beside him as he stepped in to chair both the National Council and the Managing Board meeting with great aplomb. It was his last FMB event and it was a great privilege to work alongside him. On behalf of the FMB, I would like to thank Neal for everything that he did for all of us.
SUPPORTING MEMBERS
The FMB continues to face many challenges particularly with so many building businesses in the UK still facing very difficult trading conditions. Our overriding objective remains to provide the services and support that members expect from the largest trade association in the construction industry. Your National Managing Board has had a hard task in determining the priorities to ensure FMB’s continued success against a background of falling income. We had to look very carefully at our operating structure and came to the conclusion that some rationalisation was inevitable to live within budgets and to ensure that the organisation was fit for purpose. New arrangements are now being put into place and we continue to ask for your patience as inevitably, the changes will take a while to settle.
When I was elected, I promised to set up a joint body with other associations allied to the construction industry, so that we could pool our resources to provide a stronger body to lobby on matters of interest to all involved within the industry. As the Coalition Government strengthens its demands to cut the country’s budget deficit I led an FMB delegation at the official launch of the new ‘Government Construction Strategy’ in July which is intended to reform the way in which government procures construction across all sectors and in doing so reduce costs. I have also attended many FMB regional conferences and the EBC conference in Warsaw.
FMB MEMBER BENEFITS AND SERVICES
We firmly believe that FMB members are the best in the business, providing customers with high quality work at realistic prices. During the year we have implemented several changes which reinforce that message. We have also expanded our services to members. Our successful Legal Protection Policy, which all members automatically receive as part of their membership package, now provides additional support to chase bad debts.
We have, for the first time, established a dedicated Training Department which is organising a series of relevant events to help members flourish in today’s market. The Government’s Green Deal proposals for retrofitting the majority of homes to the latest energy standards will be a key opportunity for many members. We are working with Ministers and Officials from across Government on the practical issues surrounding implementation.
AND FINALLY
I’d like to thank all my fellow members of the FMB National Council, Regional Officers, all active members and all FMB members of staff for their hard work and commitment, which helps make the FMB the best construction trade association in the United Kingdom.
I hope that the remainder of 2011 is successful for everyone, and that 2012 is even better.
