REGULAR
Getting our voices heard
Jim Melvin, Chairman of the British Cleaning Council (BCC), gives us an update on their lobbying campaign.
As readers of this column will know, the BCC has launched a lobbying campaign to encourage our industry colleagues to write to their local MP to highlight the need to make cleaning and hygiene a national priority.
As you will further recall, this is in support of the 11 recommendations made last year by the sector’s All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) in their report
entitled ‘Embedding Effective Hygiene for a Resilient UK’.
I’m pleased to report that things have got off to a great start and it feels like we are finally seeing some traction in our drive to make the industry’s voice heard in Parliament and by Government.
We began trialling the campaign at the end of February, in the media and via social media, and we launched it at the Cleaning Show in March. I urged show delegates to get behind the campaign during my conference address to an audience of around 200 people on the morning of the first day, as did my colleague, BCC Deputy Chair Delia Cannings, on day two.
Throughout the event, colleagues on the BCC stand at the Cleaning Show stand were handing out information leaflets and urging attendees to give their support. We are asking industry members to use their phones to scan a QR code, which takes you to a page on the BCC website with a pre- written letter which can then be emailed to your MP.
At the time of writing this column, 118 people had downloaded the letter to share with their MP. I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to write, it is very much appreciated. If you have written to your MP, please do let us know on
admin@britishcleaningcouncil.org.
As far as I’m aware at the time of writing this column, three MPs had responded positively. I would be very interested to hear how other MPs have responded.
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As part of the campaign, I had a good face-to-face meeting with the Rt Hon Grant Shapps, my local MP. I handed him a copy of the APPG report and the letter, and briefed him in detail. I wait to see what the result is.
We’ve also been contacted by the policy unit of the Conservative Party, asking for more information, and I intend to meet with them soon. This is an encouraging development as we have been trying for months to engage with the major political parties.
We’ve also contacted a number of other APPGs in order to engage the MPs which make up their membership. As part of that, APPG Chairman Nigel Mills MP and I will meet the Chair of the APPG on Business Resilience.
Also on the agenda is an approach to the Migration Advisory Committee, which advises on which jobs should go onto the Shortage Occupation List. We will be arguing for cleaning industry roles to be included to help alleviate the staff shortages the sector faces.
Finally, if you haven’t taken part in the campaign so far and contacted your MP, I’d like to again reiterate: ‘How much do you care about your industry?’
We need your help. 118 letters is a great start, but this is an industry that employs thousands in significant roles. Please show that you care and email your MP about making cleaning and hygiene a national priority. One letter from your company owner, your CEO or MD, your director, your manager, your team – you?
It will only take a few moments to cut and paste the letter on our website into an email. If you don’t know which MP to contact, you can find out via our website.
Thank you in advance for your support. It is and will always be greatly appreciated.
www.britishcleaningcouncil.org twitter.com/TomoCleaning
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