Quick contacts with useful people

The Association of Building Engineers (ABE)

Telephone: 01604 404121

The Association of Building Engineers (ABE) is the professional body for those specialising in the technology of building. They provide the prime qualification Building Engineer, a title that exactly reflects the professional expertise of members and one that is readily understood in the European Union and beyond. It has a wide-ranging membership, drawn from both within the United Kingdom and overseas, and enjoys freedom from constitutional restraints.

These advantages combine to give it a unique independence and breadth of influence, with consequent national and international recognition of its qualifications both in the public and private sectors and in the construction industry at large where it is represented on educational, codes and standards, legislative, technical and other advisory bodies.

Visit website: www.abe.org.uk

Association of Interior Specialists

Telephone: 00121 707 0077

The Association of Interior Specialists represents companies involved in the manufacture, supply and installation of all aspects of interior fit-outs and refurbishment, with particular emphasis on partitioning and suspended ceilings.

Members are drawn from all levels of the supply chain, to include main interior contractors, specialist fit-out contractors, interior systems manufacturers and distributors.

Members operate in retail and commercial offices, the public sector, banks and building societies, hotels and leisure facilities, hospitals, schools, factories and warehouses, airports and more.

Email: info@ais-interiors.org.uk

Visit website: www.ais-interiors.org.uk

Audit Commission

Telephone: 0844 798 1212

The Audit Commission is an independent public body responsible for ensuring that public money is spent economically, efficiently and effectively in the areas of local government, housing, health, criminal justice and fire and rescue services.

The Commission works to lead the improvement of public services. It promotes good practice and helps those responsible for public services to achieve better outcomes for citizens, with a focus on those people who need public services most.

Visit website: www.audit-commission.gov.uk

The AECB - The Sustainable Building Association

Telephone: 0845 456 9773

The mission of the AECB is to facilitate environmentally responsible practices in the construction industry. Specifically the AECB aims to:

1. Promote the use of products and materials which are safe, healthy and sustainable;
2. Encourage member’s projects that respect, protect and enhance the environment;
3. Make available comprehensive information and guidance about products, methods and projects;
4. Support the interests and endeavours of members in achieving these aims.

The AECB has recently embarked on its CarbonLite programme, which includes the development of gold and silver energy standards.

Visit website: www.aecb.net

Visit website: www.carbonlite.net

British Woodworking Federation (BWF)

Telephone: 0870 458 6939

The British Woodworking Federation (BWF) is the trade association and the leading representative body for the woodworking and joinery manufacturing industry in the UK.

The BWF currently has over 500 members drawn from the leading manufacturers, distributors and installers of timber doors, windows, conservatories, staircases and more. In fact, the Federation’s membership represents professionals working in all forms of architectural, joinery including shopfitting, timber frame buildings and engineered timber components, as well as suppliers to the industry.

Visit website: www.bwf.org.uk

CHAS - Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme

Telephone: 0208 545 3838

CHAS is a widely respected health and safety competency assessment scheme supported by industry through several trades associations.

The Health and Safety Executive describes CHAS as the benchmark to measure public organisations’ compliance with their duty to assess competence, under the newly revised Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007.

With nearly three hundred client users and over seventeen thousand registered contractors and consultants in its database, the scheme is the largest of its type in the United Kingdom. Like Constructionline, CHAS Is free to join for buyers.

Visit website: www.chas.gov.uk

Confederation of British Industry (CBI)

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI)’s mission is to help create and sustain the conditions in which businesses in the United Kingdom can compete and prosper for the benefit of all.

The CBI is the premier lobbying organization for UK business on national and international issues. It works with the UK government, international legislators and policy-makers to help UK businesses compete effectively.

Visit website: www.cbi.org.uk

ConstructionSkills

Telephone: 01485 577577

ConstructionSkills is the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry. It is one of several Sector Skills Councils tasked by the Government to implement UK-wide agreements between the bodies responsible for delivering training in the UK, and those that demand it.

ConstructionSkills provides assistance in all aspects of recruiting, training and qualifying the construction workforce. It also works with partners in industry and government to improve the competitiveness of the industry as a whole.

Visit website: www.cskills.org

Envirowise

Telephone: 0800 585794

Envirowise is a Government-funded programme dedicated to putting the sustainable use of resources at the heart of UK business practice. Since 1994 Envirowise has helped UK businesses save over £1Bn, by enabling them to significantly reduce their environmental footprints.

Visit website: www.envirowise.gov.uk

London Contracts and Supplies Group (LCSG)

Telephone:

The London Contracts and Supplies Group (LCSG) aims to continuously review the relative roles, plans and performance of the London Boroughs, in the fields of purchasing and supply. The Group also works to formulate policy for Greater London as a whole. Additionally, the LCSG determines areas and targets for further joint action on purchasing standardisation and cost reduction, and to monitor progress towards the targets.

Visit website: www.lcsg.org

Lift and Escalator Industry Association (LEIA)

Telephone: 020 7935 3013

The LEIA is the trade association and advisory body for the lift and escalator industry, formed in 1997 by the merging of two long standing associations with a history dating back to 1932.

LEIA members supply passenger and goods lifts, stairlifts, homelifts, lifting platforms escalators, passenger conveyors and a range of component parts for such products.

Visit website: www.leia.co.uk

National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC)

Telephone: 020 7638 7663

The National Federation of Roofing Contractors is the UK’s leading trade association for the roofing industry. It provides its members and their customers with unrivalled technical knowledge within the domestic, industrial and commercial roofing sectors. The NFRC also provides its members with business support through its Associate Members and partner organisations. The Federation works towards raising standards within the industry.

It has a strict code of practice to which all its members adhere, and prospective members are carefully vetted. NFRC helped to found TrustMark in January 2006, and all its members are eligible for registration with this government-endorsed scheme.

Visit website: www.nfrc.co.uk

National Specialist Contractors’ Council (NSCC)

Telephone: 0870 429 6351

The National Specialist Contractors’ Council (NSCC) brings together the common aims of 28 specialist trade organisations in the construction industry; it is the authoritative voice of specialist contractors in the UK.

The main aims of the NSCC are to:

1. Be the representative umbrella body for building specialist organisations
2. Promote the role of specialist contractors
3. Encourage the use of trade association members
4. Lobby for a business environment in which specialist contractors can flourish.

NSCC represents the interests of specialist contractors on the Strategic Forum for Construction, CITB-ConstructionSkills, the Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT), the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS), and the Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CONIAC), and provides telephone helplines, information and guidance to specialist contractors on key business issues.

Email: enquiries@nscc.org.uk

Visit website: www.nscc.org.uk

National Security Inspectorate (NSI)

Telephone: 0845 006 3003

NSI is an independent, not-for-profit approvals body providing inspection services for the security and fire industries. For 35 years, NSI has been protecting customers through insisting on the highest standards and operating the toughest inspection regime. Companies approved by NSI are inspected regularly, by highly qualified, full-time inspectors, to prove their on-going delivery of the highest standards.

Visit website: www.nsi.org.uk

Quality Fencing Assurance Scheme (Qfas)

Telephone: 0845 450 4898

Qfas' main objective is to tackle the problem of inconsistency within fence installation by outlining clear benchmarks and assessing companies, therefore protecting both the customer and the supplier.

Under the Qfas accreditation scheme, fences and perimeter systems will only be installed by proven fencing installers assessed under the Government’s TrustMark initiative. The installers have committed to quality and customer satisfaction, using high grade, trained and certified site labour.

Qfas is offered in association with the European Fencing Industry Association and the scheme has been developed for the commercial sector.

Visit website: www.qfas.ltd.uk