ASUC Annual General Meeting 2016
Before retiring as Chairman, David Gakhar, welcomed members to the meeting and gave a brief summary of this year's achievements. Membership continued to grow and this year five specialist contractors had joined ASUC: Abbey Pynford GeoStructures, Knight Build, BH Basements, W11 Construction and Goldmax as well as two associate companies: Triton Systems and Croft Structural Engineers.
The importance of ASUC's publications as an invaluable resource was further underlined with the endorsement by HSE of our Basement Guidelines. Providing technical guidance and leading the way on good practice to all those involved in the commissioning of underpinning, structural repair and basement projects was fundamental to the work of ASUC and its members.
On that note ASUC has continued to ensure high levels of training amongst its workforce and surveyed all its members to ensure they were providing a good level of continuing development in all relevant skills areas. Having set up a Specialist Upskilling Programme with the CITB we are delighted that nine operatives have achieved the NVQ level 3 qualification via the scheme.
In a year in which, due to a long hot summer, subsidence claims had increased by 70% the need for an experienced and well trained skills base was never more apposite.
Following the formal business of the meeting (minutes are available to members) the incoming Chairman, Simon Haslam gave a short address on his plans for the future of ASUC and its direction. The agreement to extend membership to specialist contractors who worked specifically in Engineered Foundation Systems would allow for more growth, particularly with the launch of a new guarantee for this sector, to be launched in March 2017. He would also ensure Associate members were represented on the Executive and it could benefit from their expertise. Importantly the work on raising recognition of the ASUC brand and all that stood for, to ensure it was the first port of call when commissioning specialist projects in this sector.
After a three-course lunch for nearly 100 members and guests, the broadcaster, writer and Church of England priest, Reverend Richard Coles provided the entertainment and presided over the Awards.
