PHAM NEWS | DECEMBER/JANUARY 2026 8 News Review


SkillPLUMB gold medal winner revealed


The SkillPLUMB 2025 UK Champion and gold medal winner has been named as Dillon Newton of the Cornwall College Group. Dillon’s skills were put to the test across two and a half days at Bridgend College where competitors were tasked with tackling a complex plumbing installation and also had to demonstrate their low carbon knowledge. Speaking of his achievement, Dillon said: “It feels


absolutely amazing to have won. I’d really like to thank Dave Hitchens from my college. He helped me perfect the Monument pipe benders and their measure-backs, and he’s also been really supportive throughout the week and for the four years of my apprenticeship. “Also thanks to BPEC and all the SkillPLUMB


sponsors for giving myself and the other apprentices the opportunity to showcase their skillset.”


Ljungberg to feature in new campaign NIBE Energy


Winner Dillon Newton with Neil Collishaw BPEC CEO (left) and Mark Griffin of Ideal Heating (right)


The silver medal was awarded to Jackson Gill of New


College Durham and CGE Yorkshire Ltd, while the bronze medal went to Jack Fenton of Belfast Metropolitan College and Ian Reid Heating.


SkillPLUMB is open to plumbing apprentices and


Level 2 or 3 plumbing students. Next year’s competition will open in March 2026.


Commercial heating help


Hamworthy Heating has launched a new Commercial Service Division, consolidating the company’s expertise across all commercial heating and hot water products into one dedicated team. The division is designed to provide nationwide support for commissioning, servicing, warranty, and breakdown assistance, offering customers a single point of contact for technical needs. Services include next-day recovery under warranty and support for Tyneham heat pumps. Engineers aim for a 90% first-time fix rate on condensing commercial boilers and water heaters, helping to reduce downtime and maintain system efficiency. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/126/09


Systems has


announced a 12-month sponsorship across Virgin Radio UK and its network to raise awareness of low- carbon heating. The campaign comes amid growing interest in renewable technologies and government support for heat pumps. Virgin Radio’s audience is considered well aligned, with listeners more likely than average to have, or be considering, a heat pump. The sponsorship includes 32 weekly weather bulletins on Virgin


Radio UK, Legends, Chilled and 80s, along with 30-second ad spots featuring Swedish footballer Freddie Ljungberg (pictured), NIBE’s brand ambassador. The campaign is expected to reach over 5 million UK adults and generate more than 145 million impressions.


Low-carbon HVAC networking series launches


Installers are invited to attend D-Carbonise With Daikin Live, a nationwide series of evening events connecting professionals in the commercial HVAC sector to explore low-carbon building solutions. The programme will visit Manchester on 15 January, Birmingham on 29 January, London on 4 February, Bristol on 5 February, Newcastle on 11 February, and Leeds on 12 February. Each event will feature expert- led sessions on emerging low-


carbon HVAC technologies, practical decarbonisation strategies, and guidance on smart systems and refrigerants. Attendees will have opportunities to network, share solutions, and gain insight into efficient heating, cooling and hot water systems for commercial projects. The series aims to inspire and equip professionals to accelerate the transition to low-carbon buildings across the UK. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/126/10


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