Clearview National April 2015 - Issue 161 | Page 34

ggfNEWS DELIGHTED WITH ONLINE PROGRESS »»The GGF expressed delight as the Federation’s online presence continues to grow at a considerable rate with January showing a 25% increase in unique users and sessions against the same period in 2014. Last year the GGF’s website www.ggf.org.uk, showed over 20% growth year-on-year with almost 120,000 people using the site and over 150,000 visits. Nigel Rees, GGF Group Chief Executive, commented, “The GGF has come a long way in the last few years with regard to our online profile and our website statistics are clear evidence of our investment in this area. We will continue to develop, where possible, to ensure our Members and our many other audiences get clear and up-to-date information on our activities. “We are delighted with our online growth figures but we are certainly not resting on our laurels. The GGF’s online plans are ongoing and further developments during this year, providing even greater benefits for our Members.” Since 2011, the GGF’s online presence has seen the launch of a new website and a multitude of developments that showcase the GGF’s technical expertise including; technical microsites, downloadable technical publications, the GGF Energy Savings Calculator plus CE Marking flow charts and templates. For further information go to: www.ggf.org.uk DEPOSIT PROTECTION TO CONSUMERS INCREASED Support for National Apprenticeship Week »»The Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) was pleased to support the Government’s initiative “National Apprenticeship Week 2015” to show how apprenticeships benefit businesses in the sector. National Apprenticeship Week is supported by most in the construction industry and ran from Monday 9 - Friday 13 March and included hundreds of events and activities across England and Wales. The GGF asks all companies in the Glass and Glazing Industry to show support for this unique event for all in the construction industry. There are financial incentives for companies taking on an apprentice. CITB registered employers are eligible for grants of between £6,000 and £10,250 depending on the duration of the apprenticeship. In addition, employers with less than 50 employees who are new to apprenticeships or haven’t enrolled an employee onto an apprenticeship programme in the previous 12 months can claim a grant of £1,500 per apprentice from the National Apprentice Service. For further information go to: www.ggf.org.uk 34 » A PR 2015 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M »»The Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) is pleased to announce that it has recently increased the amount of deposit cover to Members’ domestic customers. The improved deposit and stage payment consumer protection, through the GGF’s deposit indemnity scheme (via GGF Fund Ltd), at up to 50% of the contract value or £12,500, is a valuable sales tool for GGF Members when dealing with their prospective customers. In addition, since the introduction of mandatory Insurance Backed Guarantees (IBGs) for replacement windows and doors in June 2014, the Federation has been pleased to see an increase in new Members joining the GGF, to take advantage of Member discounts on IBGs through GGFi, the Federation’s insurance brokers. For example, the Member discounted rate on an IBG for a window contract up to £25,000 through GGFi is just £10.60. Add this to the deposit protection cost, which equates to just 0.2% of the deposits taken, then it’s easy to see how considerable savings can be made on the total cost of IBGs. Brian Smith, GGF Home Improvement Director, said; “Joining the Federation for many companies is now a ‘no-brainer’, especially when the annual subscription fees start at just £315.” For further information go to: www.ggf.org.uk