TrustMark

Since 2005, we have been the only UK Government Endorsed Quality Scheme for work done in and around the home. Endorsed by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero & the Department for Business and Trade, our purpose is to drive up standards across the industry and improve the protection offered to homeowners when having work done. We license and work with our network of Scheme Providers – accreditation bodies and trade associations – who commit to meeting the operating requirements of our Quality Scheme. In turn, our Scheme Providers license and work with their TrustMark Registered Businesses to ensure they commit to and maintain the required standards of technical competence, trading practices and customer service. These practices help to provide assurance and confidence for homeowners when they engage a TrustMark Registered Business and for trades, it helps to demonstrate their quality and professionalism. Unlike many other trader approval schemes, TrustMark is a not-for-profit organisation. Profits are continually reinvested into the scheme to improve levels of service and enhance consumer protection. If you’re a tradesperson looking to demonstrate your commitment to doing a great job with high levels of customer service, you can apply to join around 50,000 Registered Tradespeople

If we're to achieve sustainable retrofitting, collaboration is essential. We've worked in collaboration with Barclays Corporate Banking, JLL and Travis Perkins plc to support Baringa in their latest report 'Navigating sustainable retrofit in real estate. Landlords, tenants, financial institutions, and local authorities must work together to align incentives and ensure successful retrofit projects. Through collaboration, we can break down barriers, from financing to regulatory compliance, and achieve meaningful progress toward decarbonising the built environment. The report outlines three key enablers that can help guide the journey: 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺: Sustainable retrofitting is an ongoing journey. Develop long-term sustainability plans aligned with business goals, tenant leases, and maintenance schedules to spread costs and minimise disruption 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁: Real estate advisors, sustainability consultants, and banks can help navigate the regulatory hurdles, financing options, and technical complexities of retrofitting 𝗕𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻: Focus on real-world energy consumption data to guide retrofitting strategies, allowing you to make informed decisions and maximise returns With these enablers in place, sustainable retrofitting becomes an achievable, strategic approach to future-proofing your assets. Learn more in the full report https://lnkd.in/eU28UcwE

We partner with My Staff Shop to help the employees of our Registered Businesses save money on everyday purchases. The average British family can save £1,000 every year using their platform. Saving up to: ● 40% on the Cinema ● 29% on Home & Garden ● 10% on Clothing ● 7% on Supermarkets ● 35% on your Health & Fitness To help the employees of our Registered Businesses better understand our partnership and how you can save money ahead of Christmas, My Staff Shop is hosting a free webinar. During this webinar, they will demo their platform, allowing you to ask questions. Sign up for their free webinar on Wednesday 6th November 12pm - 1pm https://lnkd.in/dMz9bikH

We’re passionate about supporting the next generation to enter the Repair, Maintenance and Improvement (RMI) sector. There is a wealth of opportunities to develop a long and fulfilling career but how do we make sure it’s an industry young people proactively choose rather than ‘fall into’? We’re working with Social Market Foundation and Reed in Partnership to conduct a short survey to better help us understand the enablers and barriers to hiring young apprentices and the support small businesses need https://lnkd.in/e8FeSJux As a thank you, you’ll be entered into a prize draw for a chance to win a £50 Amazon gift card. Please rest assured that your responses will remain completely confidential and will contribute to a meaningful research report.

We have signed an open letter that today has been sent out to the Housing Minister, regarding the use of the Unique Property Reference Number. Progress is being made but more is needed, the wider adoption of the URPN will have multiple benefits. We believe that the wide market adoption of the UPRN will be a significant step forward, with numerous benefits to the UK economy, residential market and society. Progress has been made in recent years around the use of the UPRN, itself being made open and with it being built into several public data sets, but more robust action is required. We have signed the open letter alongside over 50 other organisations, related to the property market, including but not limited to Chartered Institute of Housing, Electrical Safety First, Electrical Safety Roundtable, Elmhurst Energy, NAPIT, RICS, Propertymark. Read the full open letter here https://lnkd.in/eg8m3szd #PropertyTech #UPRN #Property #HomeImprovements #Data

Last month we hosted our Annual Scheme Provider Forum at The National Self Build & Renovation Centre. A chance to come together as an industry to support the growth of our members and look at ways in which we can better protect consumers. With representatives from across our 38 Scheme Providers, which cover over 110 different trades throughout the home, it was a chance to come together to look at solutions and how we can shape the growth of our industry. Alongside important updates from the Government and other partners, we had two panels discussing: ● How are trade bodies supporting small and micro businesses ● How can funding and protecting home improvements lead to better customer outcomes Joining us and our Scheme Providers were Department for Business and Trade, Health and Safety Executive, Green Finance Institute, Aro Finance Limited, Buckinghamshire & Surrey Trading Standards, Citizens Advice, The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), Chartered Trading Standards Institute, Competition and Markets Authority, Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero & Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland. It was an invaluable day of collaboration and we are continuing to work together to grow an industry we can all be proud of.

Today is #WorldMentalHealthDay and we've partnered with The Build Network UK to raise awareness and help make positive change. Andy Stevens, Founder & CEO of The Build Network UK, worked with a fantastic production team to create the video below and we're proud to support this project. It's important the entire home, improvement and renovation sector work together to raise awareness and let people know they're not alone. We're committed to working with the Government, our partners, Scheme Providers and Registered Businesses to make our industry one we're all proud of.

The UK Government is committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 78% from 1990 levels by 2035, ahead of reaching its legal obligation of #NetZero by 2050. To do this, around 27 million UK homes must be retrofitted. This means the #Retrofit market needs to grow rapidly in the coming years – presenting a real opportunity for construction businesses and employees. Businesses involved in retrofitting homes are experiencing huge demand for their services, with three out of four looking to increase their workload. There is work available for #Construction businesses who want to be part of this major change to Britain’s existing homes. We conducted research alongside CITB to support businesses and employees to get informed, registered, involved and trained. Marcus Bennett, Head of Industry Analysis & Forecasting, CITB said: “Retrofitting the UK’s built environment to be cleaner, greener, warmer in winter, cooler in summer and progressively become more energy efficient and ultimately carbon net zero is the biggest construction opportunity this century. To benefit from this opportunity, the construction industry needs to think differently and plan for a different future. Simon Ayers MBE, our CEO said: “There is a big challenge ahead for the construction industry if we are to make Britain’s homes more energy efficient. The requirement for skilled, trained and competent tradespeople continues to grow across the industry if we are to deliver this work at the scale and pace necessary to achieve the deadline. We also need to build careers into the skills debate if we are to realise long-term delivery and create jobs that will support this. “We hope more businesses consider getting involved as the volume of retrofit work increases, and by working together, we will find the right solutions to those challenges and optimise the opportunity for everyone.” Read the full report ‘Improving the energy efficiency of Britain’s homes: the opportunity’ from CITB and TrustMark here https://lnkd.in/eMigDvaM

As the only UK Government-Endorsed Quality Scheme for work carried out in and around the home, we are passionate about quality and assurance and what that means for homeowners and our Registered Businesses. Consumer protection is always on our minds, and we strive to improve it every day, alongside the Government, our partners, Scheme Providers, and Registered Businesses. Consumer protection is a very vague term though and how does it impact tradespeople? Continuing our series with The Build Network UK, our Consumer Director, Ben M., sat down with their Founder and CEO, Andy Stevens, to discuss:   ● Where tradespeople can find reliable information and their responsibilities ● What can they do if something goes wrong ● How are they safeguarded alongside homeowners ● The importance of certified work to protect all parties https://lnkd.in/epjPcBk6

This week is Low Carbon Homes’ Great Manchester Retrofit Action Week. To support businesses and tradespeople with accelerating home energy upgrades, our Proposition Director, Avinash Rajan, is joining Energy Saving Trust’s ‘Retrofit Now!’ webinar. Joining him will be: ● Paul Carroll, Head of Services Development, at B&Q ● Emma Sinclair, Senior Manager, Homes Sustainability, at Lloyds Banking Group ● Laura Hood, Domestic Retrofit Programme Manager, at The North East Combined Authority If we are to meet the Government’s net-zero targets, we need to unlock a lot more home energy improvements. During this webinar, we’ll explore how we can support organisations to play their role in supporting homeowners through two themes: ● What help do organisations need to accelerate home energy upgrades ● What’s preventing consumers from implementing home energy efficiency measures?  Book your spot here https://lnkd.in/eh79e7pS #Retrofit #NetZero #EnergyEfficiency