PHAM NEWS | MAY 2025 8 News Review


Search is on for Trainee of the Year


LCL Awards has launched a search for the ‘Trainee of the Year’. Open to any candidate who has completed one or more LCL Awards qualifications, potential winners will be nominated by the AO’s network of 160 centres located nationwide, covering a wide range of skills including plumbing, electrics, gas and renewables. The winner will be chosen by a


HIA finalists revealed


The regional and sustainability winners as well as the finalists of the Rising Star and HVAC categories of the Heating Installer Awards 2025 have been announced. Now celebrating its 10th year anniversary, the Heating Installer Awards recognise the achievements of plumbers and heating installers who deliver excellent work on a daily basis. The regional winners are: Max


Smith (East Midlands), Jon Miles (East of England), Shane Kosic (East of England Highly commended), Craig Gilhome (North East), Liam Crossley (North West), Stuart Sugden (Scotland), Shaun Bone (South East), Liam Barry (South East Highly commended), Joshua Bond (South West), Daniel Davies (Wales & Northern Ireland), Taylor Evans (West Midlands), and Damon Blakemore (Yorkshire and the Humber). The Best Sustainable Installer winners are: Damon Blakemore (Sustainability North), Max Smith (Sustainability Midlands), Neil James (Sustainability Midlands Highly Commended), Shaun Bone (Sustainability South), Wesley Hort and Liam Barry (Sustainability South Highly Commended). The Best HVAC Installer shortlist:


Mark Denman, Dean Franklin and Craig Gilhome. The Rising Star


Save the date for AEMT


The Association of Electrical


and Mechanical Trades (AEMT) will host a newly formatted conference


at the British Motor Museum. Titled ‘Engineering a Sustainable Future’, the standalone event will feature


on 18th September technical and business-


focussed sessions, including a keynote by former SAS member Billy Billingham. There will also be an exhibition space and events exploring sustainability and business resilience. A dedicated programme for apprentices, who will be welcomed free of charge, is also included. Sponsored by Sulzer, EMiR, Hidrostal and Innomotics, the event forms part of the AEMT’s 80th anniversary celebrations. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/525/09


A new promotion from Worcester Bosch will see installers receive £500 for every qualifying Bosch heat pump installed and £250 for every


qualifying Bosch Hybrid


System fitted between 1st April 2025 and 31st March 2026. To take advantage of the Clean Heat Cashback promotion, installers can register for an account on Worcester’s website and then they can claim £500 back for any Bosch heat pump or hybrid install that has been installed, registered and commissioned within the qualifying period.


shortlist: Kris Main, Jessica Rose, Joe Styles and Daisy Turner. The shortlists were decided by a


panel of experts including representatives from the awards’ partners the CIPHE, The IPG, Polypipe Building Products, Refresh, Samsung Climate Solutions, Stelrad and Powered Now, who scored all of the entries on their technical expertise, problem-solving, product knowledge and outstanding work. The panel was joined by the Awards’


Board of Trustees, five industry- acclaimed installers who are playing a significant role in the scheme by working alongside organisers and sponsors to bring practical, technical and hands-on experience to the process. The regional and category finalists


will now go through to the next stage of the awards, which involves a technical challenge and a public vote. To get behind an installer and vote for them to be crowned the National Winner, Rising Star, HVAC, or the Most Sustainable


installer,


customers and members of the public can visit the Heating Installer Awards website and cast a vote. The winners will be announced on Wednesday 25th June 2025 at the InstallerSHOW, taking place at Birmingham NEC. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/525/06


panel of industry experts from the breadth of the building services sector, including CEO of the Heat Pump Association Charlotte Lee, director of the Heating & Hot Water Industry Council Stewart Clements, CEO of Stopcocks and advocated for women in the trades Hattie Hassan MBE, and Brett Forster head of training at NAPIT. This new award aims to celebrate a


trainee who embodies the highest standards of excellence


and


determination. The judges will be looking for a trainee who has gone above and beyond in their learning journey – whether through overcoming challenges, excelling in


practical or academic performance, or making a positive impact on their peers and the industry. The winner will receive a tool kit related to their chosen trade and promotion through LCL Awards’ marketing channels. Trainee of the Year joins other


categories open to LCL Awards approved centres including: Green Centre Award, Innovation Award, Inclusivity Award, Electrical Award, Gas Award and Community Engagement Award. “The introduction of the Trainee


of the Year Award offers a valuable opportunity to highlight the hard


work and interesting stories of trainees, which are the ultimate testament to the high standards of education and support provided by our centres, ” says Mark Krull, director at LCL Awards. “The continued success of LCL


Awards over the past two decades wouldn’t have been possible without our centres. They are the cornerstone of our business and essential advocates for our qualifications. The annual awards is a great opportunity to put their successes in the spotlight.” ◼ phamnews.co.uk/525/07


New portal simplifies installer services


A new online platform has been launched by Viessmann Climate Solutions UK to streamline services for heating installers. The VPlus portal offers faster, more intuitive access to tools and support, including reward points, training course bookings, product registration, warranty submissions and free Gas Safe notifications. The portal now automates tasks that previously


required manual input, such as account verification and reward claims. For example, new users no longer need to submit a photo ID for verification – details are now checked automatically. Similarly, loyalty rewards can be claimed instantly through a simplified online process. Installers accumulate VPlus reward points by


Jo Shepherd, sales & marketing


director at Worcester Bosch, comments: “The promotion is part of our ongoing efforts to encourage installers to provide a diverse range of heating products to their customers. We recognise that heat pumps represent a critical component of the UK’s future heating strategy, and we are committed to supporting installers as the market shifts. “This scheme compliments our


other installer promotions, such as the PowerUp rewards promotion where installers can earn up to £800 in gift cards through our loyalty programme and reflects our deep appreciation for the continued hard work and contribution of installers across the UK.”


For more information and to


register for the scheme, please visit the Worcester Bosch website using the reader link below: ◼ phamnews.co.uk/525/10


registering the Viessmann products they’ve fitted. These can then be immediately exchanged for rewards such as engineering tools, branded workwear, games consoles, pre-paid debit cards, etc. New tiers of prizes are unlocked at different installation quantity milestones, with higher-tier items worth more. Within their VPlus account, installers can also book


free training courses on boilers and heat pumps, as well as sign up for BPEC qualification programmes. Additionally, they can register new installations to obtain extended product warranties of up to 12 years and benefit from free Gas Safe notifications. Existing users will be notified about the platform


update and can carry over their account data. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/525/08


Life-saving water filters More than 125,000 water


filters produced by UK charity Aquabox have helped convert an estimated 2 billion litres of contaminated water into safe drinking water in disaster-hit regions. Based in Derbyshire, the volunteer-led group assembles filtration systems for international deployment in crisis zones. The charity, backed by sent 250


BPEC, recently


aid boxes, including water filters and other supplies, to Nepal. A further response is under way for earthquake-affected areas in Myanmar and Thailand, with equipment capable of supplying clean water to up to 18,000 people. Aquabox produces two types of filters: a family unit filtering 1 litre per minute, and a community model handling 6 litres pre minute, suitable for schools and clinics. BPEC has donated £3,500 to support the work, with chief executive Neil Collishaw praising volunteers during a recent visit to the Aquabox facility. To find out more about BPEC’s charitable work use the reader link below: ◼ phamnews.co.uk/525/11


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