Clearview North December 2013 - Issue 145 | Page 15

INDUSTRYNEWS BIGGEST EVER FUNDRAISER! As the GM Fundraising Hope 66 Team gets out of their Lycra and back to their respective day jobs, the charity Team is thrilled to announce that it has raised an incredible £180,606.35 for Hope House Children’s Hospices. This is the largest amount ever raised in a single event by GM Fundraising and by some considerable margin and it seems overwhelming that the original target of £75,000 was surpassed by over £100,000. More than ever the industry and their friends and families have got behind this latest charity adventure from GM Fundraising and the impact of social media and the blog has helped raise considerable and much needed funds for Hope House. GM Fundraising is now hoping to surpass the £1mllion mark for Hope House at its Christmas Extravaganza, where just a few tables remain. Gary Morton, chairman of GM Fundraising comments: ‘£180,000 is quite simply a breathtaking amount to raise and I cannot thank everyone enough. The team at Hope House are quite staggered at what we have achieved.” also done much to spread the word. Not only have the riders and support teams experienced the challenge of a lifetime, but also they have For all enquiries for the Christmas Extravaganza, please e-mail Gary Morton at [email protected]. UK CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AT ITS MOST ACTIVE SINCE 2004 Housebuilding in the UK construction sector is continuing to pick up with chartered surveyors again reporting growth, according to the latest RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) construction market survey. In the third quarter of 2013, 41% more respondents reported rises in privately-funded housing projects compared with the previous quarter. The survey also showed a net balance of +31% expecting more jobs to be created over the next twelve months. This represents the most widespread increase in workloads in nearly ten years, since the middle of 2004. The news is welcome for an industry that contracted, which lost around 15% of output in the five years after the financial crisis.The construction industry was the part of the economy worst hit by the financial crisis, and housing completions are still running more than 40% below their early 2007 peak. The growth over the last quarter has been driven by commercial and industrial developments that have finally begun construction after securing funding. Simon Rubinsohn, RICS chief economist, said: “While it’s certainly good news that construction - and especially housebuilding - is finally on the rise right across the UK, we are certainly not out of the woods yet.” Surveyors are expecting a sharp increase in business activity during the next twelve months. 71% of respondents see the volume of work picking up speed, with output likely to rise by almost four per cent over the period. Source: Companiesandmarkets.com DON’T WORRY, BE ‘APPY! Freefoam is delighted to announce the launch of a new catalogue app. Suitable for smart phones and tablets, it means the entire Freefoam range including fascia, soffit, rainwater, cladding and internal panelling systems is now accessible anytime, anywhere. Developed in response to the continuing rise in mobile usage for searching and holding information the catalogue app is the ideal solution allowing customers and installers access to product codes, dimensions and pack quantities at the touch of a button. The Freefoam catalogue app features handy links to www.freefoam.com to access To read more, visit www.clearview-uk.com even more information and the option for users to receive notifications of new literature so that they always have the latest information. Louise Sanderson, UK Marketing Executive explained, “Our catalogue app will be an invaluable tool for all Freefoam customers and installers. Having the Freefoam range instantly available on a phone or tablet will make finding specific products much easier and quicker. The app will also be a useful marketing tool, raising the visibly of our brand on mobile platforms and allowing us to promote our range to a much wider audience.” Call 01604 591110, email [email protected] or visit our website at www.freefoam.com DEC 2013 15