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BMF team takes on Race for Change Challenge
Three members of the BMF team are preparing to take part in the inaugural Race for Change challenge, joining businesses from across the building materials sector to raise money for charitable causes linked to equality, sanitation and education.
Created by Bristan Group CEO Jen Cassidy, and inspired by the television series Race Across the World, the challenge will see teams dropped into a secret European location with limited funds, no mobile phones and four days to make their way back to
linked to inclusivity and responsible water management, and are supported by
organisations including Waterwise and the Construction Inclusion Coalition.
the UK. The finish line will be the Bristan stand at InstallerSHOW 2026 on June 23rd.
Representing the BMF will be the “Stream Team”, made up of Oz Bham, Marianna Peet and Andrei Imbru.
Along the route, teams will have to complete challenges
The challenge also carries a significant fundraising objective, with each team aiming to raise at least £2500, and the BMF team have set their own ambitious target of £5000. Funds will support event charity partner The Cycle, which works to improve gender equality through access to water, sanitation and menstrual education programmes,
BMF meets DEFRA Floods Minister
Last month, we were invited into Whitehall to meet DEFRA Water & Flooding Minister, Emma Hardy MP, again to further discuss what families, businesses and communities can do to protect their property. The BMF is part of the FloodReady Leadership Group that carries forward the recommendations of Prof. Peter Bonfield’s Review of Property Flood Resilience.
Brett Amphlett (BMF Policy Manager) met the Minister along
with builders, flood risk managers, insurers, mortgage lenders and others to take stock - and look ahead to an uncertain summer of droughts and floods.
The meeting took place in the week that the Climate Change Committee and the House of Lords both warned it is critical that action is taken now to prepare for serious flooding. The CCC said 7 million UK properties currently at risk could increase by 40% to 8 million - or 25% of all properties - by 2050
Above: Minister Emma Hardy MP (seated, centre-left) and the BMF’s Brett Amphlett (seated, centre-right).
without more determined action. For BMF members, it means encouraging merchants to stock
BMF at Innovation Zero World Congress 2026
The BMF was pleased to be invited back to an international energy and net zero conference and exhibition at Kensington Olympia this spring. Innovation Zero brought together leaders from government, business, academia and the City of London to take stock of where the United Kingdom is at on the road to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The key theme was acceleration: accelerating the electrification of the energy grid, accelerating the innovation and digitalisation necessary, and accelerating the
funds to investable propositions. Uppermost for those people Brett Amphlett (BMF policy manager) met, were policy responses needed to deal with disruption and rising prices caused by the ongoing Middle East crisis.
The session on the circular economy and the built environment to adapt and be resilient found new circular models in design, construction & operations were critical to cut emissions and reduce waste to ease pressure on natural resources. World-wide, the built
June 2026
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environment is one of the most resource and carbon-intensive systems.
The Alliance of Sustainable Building Products spoke about ways to re-use what we have already. We also listened to representatives from heavy industries like cement, steel & utilities. They are the most carbon-intensive and hardest, most expensive industries to decarbonise - but upon which the world depends. Huge sums of money are necessary to transform them. This requires balancing investor risk with policy
in addition to the charities selected by each participating organisation.
For the BMF team, fundraising efforts will also support the Maddie Rose Foundation and The Educational Frontier Trust, both of which focus on improving opportunities for young and vulnerable people.
Throughout the race, the team will share updates from the journey via the BMF’s LinkedIn page, documenting the challenges, teamwork and experiences encountered along the way.
a wider selection of materials, products, equipment & systems - some of which are made by BMF manufacturers. It also involves offering practical advice or technical support to builders and other crafts & trades about property flood resilience - and they can then, in turn, persuade owner- occupiers and landlords to act. The next step is a dialogue with suppliers of kitchens like Magnet, Symphony, Howdens and Wren to see what can be done when designing and fitting kitchens to make homes flood resilience.
Left top right = Debbie Ward (Alliance for Sustainable Building Products), Alan Ritchie (SSE Networks), Roxana Slavcheva (World Resources Institute) and Melissa Zanocco (UKRI).
signals from government which are often uncertain.
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