FROM THE EDITOR
Your best ability is availability
» WHILE PUTTING TOGETHER THE MAGAZINE THIS MONTH , I heard the quote ‘ your best ability is availability ’ and it was something that stuck with me . I ’ m sure it ’ s been around for while but it was the first time I ’ d ever heard it and I started to think about how we can all make ourselves more ‘ available ’.
Since hearing this quote , I ’ ve been wondering how it can be applied to our work here at Clearview Group . Availability doesn ’ t have to mean a certain time and a specific place ( although that certainly helps with calls , conferences , meetings and events !) To me , availability also means being open to new opinions and opportunities , personally and professionally present , expanding your horizons and extending your appreciation and acceptance of new ideas and ways of thinking .
We are certainly open to new ideas and ways of thinking here at Clearview . Of course , it ’ s necessary to have a format for our magazines ; regular features , uniformity in style and structure , aspects that regular readers expect to see every month . But it ’ s also really important that we look for fresh ideas , new insight , original thinking and approach new people to contribute .
We can all be guilty of getting stuck in our ways , but having the ability to branch out and challenge ourselves is another way to be more ‘ available ’. When it comes to opinions and opportunities , wouldn ’ t it be boring if we all said the same thing every time ? I certainly wouldn ’ t want to write the same thing every month so I ’ m sure you don ’ t want to read the same thing every month . Our industry is diverse and dynamic , just like the broader world . This is something we celebrate and champion . We like to be different , and offer something that you might not get anywhere else .
There is so much information available to us all at the moment , having the ability to channel it all into digestible content is our contribution to the industry . And it ’ s a pleasure to play that role . When industry professionals and experts make themselves available to us too , it ’ s a partnership with the ability to change and challenge , inform and educate , even entertain .
And , as someone who is always learning ( aren ’ t we all ?) I ’ m going to start making myself even more available to everything going on in the industry , so get ready to see that on our pages too . But don ’ t worry you ’ ll still recognise the format !
See you next time , Gemma
Support Crucial to Meeting New Housing Targets
» AS ANNOUNCED BY Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing , Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner , the Government is increasing the annual housing construction target from 300,000 built per year to 370,000 . Yet with housing associations and the wider housing facing pronounced worker shortfalls , REHAU is highlighting how supply chains must be reconfigured to meet expected increases in demand .
“ The labour crisis is already biting hard in London , with housing associations facing shortages of up to 2,600 skilled people to construct , maintain and retrofit social housing stock ,” explained Martin Hitchin , CEO at REHAU . “ Additionally , the London Homes Coalition has expressed an urgent need for 10,000 workers annually and 31,000 over the next five years , even before this latest announcement . A house needs foundations to stand , and our construction sector requires support to best bridge these eye-opening shortfalls .
“ This London problem is also a UK problem , as workers are spread too thinly to build specialist knowledge in crucial areas such as windows specification . However , with the Future Homes Standard ( FHS ) coming into force in 2025 , an awareness of how these components and others impact crucial areas such as a property ’ s energy efficiency and ventilation will be vital . As such , the sector must seek to leverage supply chain expertise to best negate potential knowledge gaps as project workloads increase alongside housing demand .”
Issues around FHS awareness were previously identified in REHAU ’ s recent whitepaper , Future Homes Standard : Preparing UK Housing for 2025 . Surveying 200 local authority , housing association , social housing and housebuilding decisionmakers in June 2023 , it found that two-thirds of respondents were not prepared for the FHS ’ s introduction .
Following the change in government and recent consultations allowing greater interpretation around FHS requirements under the new Home Energy Model , this new policy announcement highlights the need for greater supply chain support , says Martin .
“ If the industry is to meet these demanding new housing construction targets , it is clear it will require third-party assistance to streamline specification processes . By engaging the supply chain , an understrain workforce may be able to alleviate some of the pressure caused by skill shortages , both now and into the future .”
window . rehau . com
4 SEPTEMBER 2024 CLEARVIEW-UK . COM