A ROOFER’S TALE
< Tom was a good student. With
support from Andy, Bob and Alan
Lander of RoofTrain UK – Tom’s NVQ
assessor at the South West Training
Group – he came second, with a
judge’s commendation, in the national
SkillBuild finals in 2017. Further success
followed in 2018, when Tom was
Highly Commended in the Pitched Roof
category of the BMI Redland Apprentice
of the Year competition in June.
The BMI competition – open to
2019 entries next spring – is for all
roofing apprentices enrolled with one
of the participating colleges or training
groups. The competition incorporates
both pitched and flat roofing
disciplines.
Entrants are tested and judged on
all-round ability, including business
skills. “The competition was not what
I expected, and totally different to
SkillBuild,” said Tom. “It required a
lot more thought – especially when it
came to the fault-finding and business
presentations.”
All things change, and Tom has
moved from A. L. King to a more local
Devizes firm, Roundway Roofing.
Founded by Rob Gleed, Roundway
Roofing specialises in heritage work,
although when RCI met up with Tom,
it was tackling a large school re-roof
in Somerset. By coincidence, the roof
was a full BMI specification, designed
through the warrantied SpecMaster
service, featuring Redland 50 Double
Romans, coupled with Icopal’s
Thermweld FireSmart warm roof
waterproofing system on flat areas.
While very happy at Roundway
Roofing, Tom – now 30 with a young
family – has an eye on the future. “I’ve
still got a lot to learn, but ultimately,
I’d love to have a crack at being a
trainer or a tutor myself,” he said. “I’ve
trained up to 600 soldiers at a time,
and I was really motivated by my time
with Alan and what I saw at the BMI
competition.”
Tom’s journey so far – not least
to Helmand and back – has been
challenging, but it has also equipped
him with the fortitude he needs to
attack the next leg of his career with
grit and determination.
9 Platoon’s story is told in a BBC
documentary ‘Life After War: Haunted
by Helmand’, which is available on
YouTube.
w www.bmigroup.com
PITCHED ROOFING
Guttercrest headlines Pitched
Roofing Awards
As a long-standing supporter of RCI, Guttercrest is a natural choice to
headline the inaugural Pitched Roofing Awards, which aims to shine a
spotlight on outstanding projects and people who work within the industry
Operating for over 30 years in the
aluminium rainwater sector,
the name ‘Guttercrest’ has
become synonymous with high
quality bespoke and standard guttering,
downpipes and rainwater hoppers. It’s also
renowned for the complimentary products
it offers, which includes: aluminium fascias;
soffits; column casings; coping; capping
and facades.
Manufactured in its 65,000 sq ft site
in Shropshire, Guttercrest pride itself
on providing its customers with prompt
estimates and fast deliveries. With a
history that started in the installation
of metal rainwater goods, the familyrun
business retains the philosophy
of thinking as an installer not just a
manufacturer.
Guttercrest’s manufacturing
capability is unrivalled, with machinery
that can deliver the very best quality
and most innovative designs in
architecture today. Backed by a
team of technical design specialists,
involvement with Guttercrest from the
early stages of a project can ensure the
success of any design from a practical
and aesthetic perspective.
“We were excited to get involved in
the Pitched Roofing Awards from the
start,” said Ben Power from Guttercrest.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for us
to support the roofing industry and
celebrate the high level of skill and
project management that goes into
completing these impressive roofing
projects.
“These awards are a boost for the
roofing industry, bringing together the
best in the business and showcasing
them as a benchmark. We look forward
to celebrating with the winners and
the runners-up at the event later this
month.”
Tony Brown, sales director at
RCI, said: “We are delighted to have
Guttercrest on board as the headline
sponsor. The company is a wellrespected
manufacturer of high-quality
aluminium rainwater products, so
Guttercrest is a great fit for these
awards, which celebrate excellence in
the roofing industry.”
w www.guttercrest.co.uk
84 www.rcimag.co.uk November 2018
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/www.guttercrest.co.uk
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