The Ford Transit was the best-selling cargo van family globally in 2015, with nearly 400,000 vans registered, according to IHS Markit registration data.

Transit is building on a 50-year legacy in Europe. In the past 25 months, Ford has seen its commercial vehicle market share grow from 10.8 per cent to 12.9 per cent in Europe.

This makes Ford the No. 1-selling commercial vehicle brand in Europe for the first time in 18 years, thanks to continued growing demand for its new and expanded Transit range – including Transit, Transit Custom, Transit Connect and Transit Courier – based on IHS Markit commercial vehicle registrations.

Transit Custom sales in Europe grew 23 per cent to 89,800 units year-on-year during the first three-quarters of 2016, and Transit sales grew 17 per cent to 64,800 units during the same period.

The success of Transit has also propelled Ford to become the top seller of commercial cargo vans in the U.S, accounting for 40 per cent of the full-size commercial van market in the country through September – up from 36 per cent in 2015. Strong demand for Transit is putting Ford on track for its best year for U.S. van sales since 1978, based on Ford-reported data. Transit now outsells even America’s best-selling minivan, based on industry-reported sales.

Transit also remains the UK’s favourite van after over 50 years of sales leadership and after a successful March, commercial vehicle sales are said to be on track to be at a record high at year end.

www.ford.co.uk/CommercialVehicles

When fencing and landscape gardening business owner Addam Smith found out his employee Keith Ellick had been diagnosed with terminal cancer he couldn’t stand by and do nothing.

Knowing that Keith’s biggest worry was for the welfare of his family Addam, who owns ALS Fencing & Lanscaping, took to the popular Facebook group Builder’s Talk to see if he could raise some funds to help. He was overwhelmed by the response.

Addam had a target of £2000 in mind but within 24 hours of posting he had raised over £8,000 and he also started recruiting the group’s members to complete a DIY SOS style renovation of Keith’s home. Volunteers from across the trades and around the country, who Addam jokingly referred to as the Band of Builders (BoB), came together and within a week completely transformed the two bedroom house that Keith shares with his partner Sasha and five year old son Leighton.

But Addam didn’t stop there. The Band of Builders (BoB) name caught on and Addam has now launched a website www.bandofbuilders.com and shop selling BoB merchandise to raise further money for good causes with the first target being to raise £100k to buy Keith’s council house.

“But it’s not just about raising money,” explains Addam. “Many tradespeople are incredibly generous with both their money and time and Keith’s house makeover showed just what can be achieved when you channel that generosity.”

Addam has his sights set firmly on the £100k target for the moment but he recognises from the generous support he’s had for BoB already that its potential is huge.

The next step is to turn Band of Builders into a registered charity dedicated to helping tradespeople and their families in need.

Donate now and help Addam reach the £100k target.

www.gofundme.com/Liftkeith

Check out the BoB website and shop.

www.bandofbuilders.com

www.alsfencingltd.com

A Durham landlord has been given a suspended prison sentence following his failure to maintain or check the gas fittings in one of his properties.

A gas fire with back boiler at a tenanted property in Wilton Street, Middlesborough, was found to be immediately dangerous when examined by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). HSE prosecuted Christopher Hobaiter after it was found that the appliance was leaking deadly carbon monoxide into the ground floor sitting room. Windows were sealed shut and wall ventilation grills had been blocked over for some time, exposing the tenant to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Christopher Hobaiter of Lyndon Avenue, Hartburn, Stockton on Tees pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 36(2) of the Gas Safety Installation and Use Regulations 1998 and was sentenced to a 26 week prison sentence suspended for 24 months with £1904.02 costs by Teesside Magistrates Court.

After the hearing, HM Inspector of Health and Safety, Richard Bulmer commented: “Low level carbon monoxide poisoning can be severe and debilitating and almost always fatal at higher levels.

“Falling asleep in the vicinity of a carbon monoxide producing gas fire is highly likely to lead to death .

Consumer demand for building work remained resilient in the three months following the vote for Brexit, new figures from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) have revealed.

Commenting on the results of the first UK-wide survey of the SME construction sector post-referendum, Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “Ongoing workloads for construction SMEs remained remarkably resilient in the months following the referendum vote, suggesting that consumer demand – which accounts for the bulk of SME work – has held up far better than anticipated. Some of the other key indicators of SME activity, such as employment levels, anticipated workloads and new work enquiries, are all positive, albeit showing slowed growth compared to the previous quarter. If we all agree that construction is a “weather vane” industry, and demand for home improvement and new build homes an important gauge of consumer confidence, then our results chime with the cautious positivity demonstrated across construction and the wider housing market.”

Berry continued: “That being said, construction bosses will be taking nothing for granted. Growth has softened compared to the buoyant first half of the year and some parts of the UK have gone into decline. In particular, London is flat-lining which is concerning given that it is typically one of the strongest markets for construction SMEs. Our feeling is that the construction skills shortage, which we know is particularly pronounced in London and the south east, is starting to bite.”

Berry concluded: “Our latest figures show that nearly two-thirds of SMEs are struggling to hire bricklayers and 55% are having a hard time sourcing carpenters and joiners. This highlights a different potential consequence of Brexit – the possibility that we will have a less flexible workforce. 12% of construction workers working in the UK are of non-UK origin, forming a vital part of a labour force that is already stretched. Given that the skills gap is only expected to grow over the next decade, it’s vital that talented tradespeople continue to come to the UK. For this reason, we welcome the Government’s u-turn on requiring companies to publish data on the percentage of foreign workers they employ. Such a move would send completely the wrong message to foreign workers currently living and working in the UK and those who might consider coming here.”

www.fmb.org.uk

HSS Hire, the tool and equipment hire company, has launched two new ‘pop-up’ shops at the new £2.5bn Canary Wharf district development site, giving the 470 construction workers on the site instant access to a huge range of tools and equipment.

The multibillion pound complex in the Isle of Dogs, has been designed to provide a new residential led, mixed use and waterside community, scheduled for phased delivery commencing in 2019 and final  completion in 2023.

HSS operates a service called HSS Onsite which provides large construction sites with a pop-up shop style branch where workers can access the tools and equipment that they need quickly saving them the time of having to leave the site and find their nearest branch.

HSS Hire has two HSS Onsite trading locations on the project, one on the south east corner of the site and another within the site’s welfare compound, which has been constructed in one of the underground car parks.

The development will provide more than 3,200 new homes, nearly 2 million sq. ft. of high quality commercial office space, and a further 335,000 sq. ft. of shops, restaurants and community uses.

www.HSS.com

Two construction firms have benefited from a national scholarship scheme which enables them to take on an apprentice who is entirely funded to work for them for 12 months.

The initiative was launched by construction audit, contract and payroll provider, Hudson Contract, to celebrate its 20th anniversary and also provide opportunities for two young apprentices hoping to take their first steps on the construction career ladder.

After receiving entries from construction firms across the UK, Hudson Contract’s judging panel awarded the scholarship to H&L Construction Solutions in West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire and Matthews & Leigh in Chorley, Lancashire.

As a result of the awarded funding, on-site carpentry firm, H&L Construction Solutions, has welcomed Joe Ladbery (21) who will start his apprenticeship whilst attending his place at Oaklands College in St Albans. Construction and civil engineering firm, Matthews & Leigh, is now able to take on Jordan Goulding (18) who is about to start his Level 2 Apprenticeship in Construction Operation at Preston College.

Emma Hunt, Office Manager at H&L, said: “Joe is one of the first apprentices we have ever taken on. We’re a young company, so fully financing the course, with day release, would have been extremely difficult. We really want to support young people in the area who will play an important part in growing our company, so we were thrilled when we found out we had won the scholarship scheme.”

Ian and Andrew Leigh, joint Managing Directors for Matthews & Leigh, added: “We really value the contribution apprentices make to our company. They are the future of our workforce and it’s vital for them to have the skills and training they need to produce quality work and fully understand the industry’s health and safety requirements. To be awarded this scholarship is a fantastic opportunity for us as we recognise that today’s apprentices are to become the next generation of supervisors and managers, which is so important to the long-term growth of the industry.”

Ian Anfield, Managing Director at Hudson Contract, said: “For a long time we have been concerned about the lack of opportunities for young people trying to enter the construction industry. We hope that by providing these scholarships we shall see both Joe and Jordan realise their full potential and enjoy a long and successful career in the building trade.

“We had a high volume of entries, but H&L and Matthews & Leigh stood out as they demonstrated the important role an apprentice will make to their business moving forward.”

www.hudsoncontract.co.uk