Pro Installer January 2017 - Issue 46 | Page 21

PRO INSTALLER JANUARY 2017
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PRO NEWS

BLACKPOOL BONUS FOR CHILDREN IN NEED

When the BBC ’ s famous DIY SOS team headed to Blackpool for one of the programme ’ s biggest ever challenges , Fleetwood-based VEKA fabricator Express Trade Frames knew it had to help . For the programme ’ s Children in Need ‘ Big Build ’, Nick Knowles and the team called in the support of tradespeople throughout the area to transform a Blackpool-based young carers ’ centre from a run-down and tired Victorian property , to a bright , fun , safe space for
‘ making the property warmer , safer , more secure , and more energy efficient ’
these young people to find support and enjoy their own childhoods . Scott Law , managing director of Express Trade Frames , explained : “ Apparently this project is one of the most ambitious that the DIY SOS crew have ever taken on , due to the scale and disrepair of the building . We were absolutely thrilled to
be able to help with such a valuable enterprise . “ We actually came to be involved in the project via Facebook , where we read that the original window supplier had pulled out and they required a company to step in at short notice . “ The property , Blenheim House , is owned by a charity called Blackpool Carers
Centre , which receives funding from BBC Children in Need to provide respite and support for more than 100 young people with caring responsibilities . “ We used VEKA ’ s Fully Sculptured profile to manufacture 22 casements plus four vertical sliders , which would replace the building ’ s neglected wooden windows , making the property warmer , safer , more secure , and more energy efficient . Of course , they also happen to look fantastic . “ Time is always ‘ of the essence ’ on the programme
and we were able to arrange eight of our trusted , local installers to fit the windows in just one day .” MD of The VEKA UK Group , Dave Jones said : “ It ’ s
great to see local businesses come together as a community and support voluntary projects like this .”
www . vekauk . com

Backlash against palace renovation costs

The Treasury has announced the ‘ essential ’ £ 369m renovation plans for Buckingham Palace . To fund this ten-year endeavour , the Queen has been given a 66 % pay rise which will last for the entirety of the project . However , this news has caused a backlash from the general public and has left the UK questioning who should be paying for this refit . Consequently , a petition asking the Queen to pay for this refurbishment herself reached its target in a matter of days , attracting over 140,000 signatures . Now , home services marketplace , Plentific . com , has found that two out of three UK taxpayers feel unhappy with the costs . Ultimately , 68 % of UK taxpayers feel unhappy with the £ 369m price tag . As the home of Buckingham Palace , Londoners appear more supportive of the final price with only 61 % feeling unhappy with the costs . This may be due to Londoners being more aware
As a taxpayer , are you happy about the £ 369m home improvement bill to update
Buckingham Palace ?
National Average
London
Scotland
Happy with costs
32 %
39 %
19 %
Not happy with costs
68 %
61 %
81 %
and accepting of higher costs in the capital , making them less surprised by the level of funding needed for the renovations . Similar to the referendum and Brexit , Scotland has taken a distinctly negative stance and has proven to be the most unsupportive country in the UK , with 81 % of respondents claiming they are unhappy with the costs . 82 % of respondents in Edinburgh disapprove of the costs , whilst Glasgow appears to be the slightly more sympathetic with 77 % feeling unsatisfied . With only 54 % feeling unhappy with the £ 369m investment , Bristol shows the highest level of support for the price tag in the country . Brighton , too , shows more understanding for the costs with 59 % feeling unhappy . The results also show that Liverpool ( 73 %), Leeds ( 70 %), Nottingham ( 78 %) and Sheffield ( 72 %) are the least happy of all locations in England .

Crowning Glory For Gloucestershire Business

Customade has been crowned as the Aluminium Company of 2016 in the National Fenestration Awards .
The NFA win comes just months after Customade launched its industry-leading aluminium solution , ‘ REAL Aluminium ’. REAL Aluminium was created by the Gloucestershire-based fabricator to cut aluminium lead times to just two weeks and make pricing , quoting and promoting aluminium easier . Customade beat off competition from other well-known aluminium fabricators to take the title in the annual independent awards . Claire Miller , Customade Group ’ s marketing manager , said : “ When we launched REAL Aluminium earlier this year , we set out to really shake up the industry and revolutionise the supply of aluminium . We are thrilled to win this award , which celebrates the terrific impact that REAL Aluminum has had on our industry in such a short time .
“ The NFA winners are decided by the industry , so it means a great deal to us to be nominated by the people who rate the contribution that we ’ ve made in helping to unlock the massive potential of aluminium .”
Call 01453 826884 or visit www . real-aluminium . co . uk