Building Industry News Archive

Build Right Builders Support Charity Project - 24th December, 2004

Build Right Builders are the proud supporters of Brian Darnell's participation in a charity project to help school-children in Uganda.

In June 2005, Brian will be travelling to Gulu District in Northern Uganda. The area has experienced 18 years of instability. Now peace is coming to the area, and this project is helping to rebuild the education system. The project team aim to build six classrooms to house the carpentry, construction, tailoring, sustainable agriculture, typing and office skills classes at Keyo Vocational Training Centre.

In order to complete the project, funds are being raised through various charitable events. Brian has also been gaining valuable work experience with Build Right Builders, in preparation for the project. He has spent several weeks on site to get an idea of what is involved.

'It is great to get some hands-on experience of the building trade before I go out to Uganda. I've worked with a lot of different tradesmen so far, and hopefully I can contribute something to the project when we go there in June,' he said. 'I know that different materials and equipment will be available in Uganda, so I will have to adapt to cope with that.'

Colin Darnell, of Build Right Builders, is happy to be supporting the cause: 'We're really happy to help out where we can. It's important to realise there are areas of the world which are in need of development. Our goal is to prepare Brian as much as possible before he goes to Uganda.'

Build Right Builders have provided a free web site for the project, where people can make online donations. For more information visit www.buildrightbuilders.com/uganda.

Cowboy Traders Rope in £1billion - Metro, 19th October, 2004

Nearly one million people will fall victim to cowboy traders this year - handing over more than £950million for botched work.

An estimated 995,000 Britons will be ripped off, researchers predict, with 45 per cent paying on average £828 more than the quoted price.

Sybil Fawlty is left to deal with the mess left by O'Reilly in Fawty Towers

Plumbers are named as the main culprits by 27 per cent of victims, followed by builders (16 per cent), roofers and plasterers (eight per cent each). In the past five years, nearly five million people have been taken in by rogue tradesmen, at a total cost of $4.79billion. But the cowboys do not just affect people's pockets - they they can cause emotional damage and wreck relationships.

'In the past five years, as a direct result of cowboy traders, 1.8million people have suffered damage to their property and 1.1million have experienced sleepless nights,' said Andrew Jackson of insurance broker Swinton, which surveyed 1000 people.

An estimated 913,000 Britons took time off work and 800,000 suffered relationship difficulties because of the problems caused by workmen, Mr Jackson claimed.

Families in Greater London were most likely to be conned, followed by those in Wales and the West Country. Midlanders and Scots were least likely to be targeted.

The research also highlighted the vulnerability of the over-55 age group, with 819,000 falling victim to rogue traders in the same five-year period.

But, despite the stress caused by sloppy workmanship, only 17 per cent of people refused to pay for it.

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