ASSOCIATION NEWS


This report gives an overview of the year’s activities within the Association and some of the initiatives carried out by our various partner organisations


Such relationships are key in helping to provide a range


of advice, helplines, and other promotional material to PDA Members, as well as adding to the income stream to PDA. This year has seen further interest from manufacturers


and suppliers to the trade who wish to have increased collaboration with the PDA. We now have over 48 Associate Partners working with us, offering support and discounts to our membership. This is a specific area that our new marketing consortium will be targeting in 2020 and beyond. Examples of Members deals/services are: • Discounts on products and services


• Continual professional development courses, whether they be free or at preferential discounted rates


• Combined training and factory visit days through the year


Substantial savings on their products and services


range from Q1 Masking Tapes, GoSimpleTax, HMG paints, Hospital, Medical Care Association, Call Handling Solutions, to Markel Business Hub offering templates and downloads, saving £190 on their joining fee on that one item alone. We are currently in talks with our preferred associate


insurance provider to look at offering unique packaged insurance for our Members. In addition, I am in conversation with a major wallpaper


manufacturer to form a list of PDA wallpaper hangers whereby, upon purchasing their specific product, the customer can be informed of a professional wallpaper


hanger within their area who specialises in hanging that product, (permissions from Members to go on such a list will be sought in due course). We intend this to be rolled out across the UK in 2020.


Marketing and


Public Relations We have recently acquired the services of a new marketing team to help promote awareness of the PDA to both its Members and the wider public. Shepherd PR and Catherine Saint Publicity, along with


Empathic Visions are working together with the management board and team at head office to develop a new strategic approach. This concentrates on key areas such as membership communication and consumer awareness. Additionally, we will be looking at closer liaison with Associate partners, manufacturers and business suppliers. Our strategic marketing plan will identify the needs of our membership in order to enhance our benefits and services.


The Decorator Magazine The magazine continues to go from strength to strength, both as hard copy and as an online presence. When I speak to CEO’s of other trade bodies, they are often envious that we have such a well-established publication hitting our Members’ doorsteps every eight weeks. Our publisher always welcomes your feedback and ideas for new features. The magazine is for you, the Members, so please continue to send news, projects and images to feature in each issue.


Legal Services During 2019 we have seen a substantial rise in PDA Members using both the claims section and the 24-hour advice call centre of our partners, Markel Law. One of the specific areas of concern in the growing


number of ‘professional non-payers’ now becoming more evident. As a quick reminder, please be vigilant in checking over completed works prior to leaving the job and ask the client to sign a customer satisfaction form. It is concerning to find that so many Members do not


have an audit trail of quotations, estimates or correctly produced invoices. As well as the original ones before the job, this practice should also extend to when the Member is on site and the client asks, “Oh can you just fit me in this extra room to decorate while you’re here”. It is incumbent on the Member to ensure that this is


costed out with appropriate paperwork and agreed by the client. This all prevents difficult issues at the end of the job.


Website We have recently been informed that the platform on which our current website is based upon will no longer be supported from early 2020. Therefore, we are in the process of obtaining quotations to create a brand-new site. In the interim, we have the chance to strip back the


contents of the current site, and we are will be working with a specialist website consultant who will evaluate the material with a view to giving optimum performance. Once this work is completed, we will then instigate the


rebuild and hope to have the site completed by late spring or early summer.


Conclusion This year has seen us celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the founding of the National Association. This Association will continue, as it has done since 1894, to promote the continuous improvement of the painting and decorating industry as a whole and to advance the wellbeing, productivity, growth and status of all who are connected with our very special trade. The promotion of our sector skills to the future generation of up and coming apprentices is paramount, both for the trade as a whole and for the


continued growth and development of our Association’s future. On this note of continual development, we will be asking for your support in the New Year with a series


of surveys coming out to you asking for your help in continuing to shape the Association so that it remains relevant to you. Remember, it is your Association, so please do continue to work with us. Don’t be strangers, give us


a call at head office to discuss any matter in further detail at any time. And finally, I would like to thank our Head Office team: Denice Harper


Yvonne Dominey-Tay Samantha Cooke Paul Whitehead


Membership Services Manager Administration and Events Manager Administration Assistant Recruitment Advisor


I also wish to thank our Management Board, along with our Associate Partners and also you the


Members, for the loyalty, support and confidence shown throughout the year, particularly to those Members who play an active role within the Association.


Neil Ogilvie PDA Chief Executive Officer 7


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