The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) appointed a new Chair and Vice Chair at its 2023 Annual General Meeting at Hatfield House, Hertfordshire on the 7 June.

Clive Miles of CLM Fireproofing became the Chair, taking over from Chris Miles who stood down following the completion of his two-year term. Sharon McClure of Avesta Scotland was proud to be elected as the ASFP’s first female Vice Chair.

Having founded CLM 30 years ago, Clive brings extensive experience of delivering passive fire protection (PFP) solutions to some of the UK’s most iconic buildings. He is passionate about driving best practice, developing and investing in people and championing innovation across the PFP sector.

Commenting on his appointment, Clive outlined the key challenges the industry faces and his vision for taking the ASFP forward:

“Increased pressures from legislation, media coverage, insurances and skill shortages are driving unprecedented transformation in the sector. The ASFP and our members have to evolve in new and innovative ways in order to adapt to this new, ever-changing world.

“The industry is suffering both from an ageing workforce and a skills shortage and more needs to be done to attract and retain young professionals. Through a combination of apprenticeships, academies and outreach programmes we can help secure the next generation of our profession.

“By creating and implementing new ways to train, engage and promote PFP, we can ensure the ASFP becomes the industry benchmark for 'educational best practice'.”

He welcomed Sharon into her role as Vice Chair, recognising her long experience in the industry and her input to the ASFP’s development, having served on its Council for several years.

Sharon has worked in the PFP industry since 2006, joining Avesta in 2010. She is the Scottish Representative for the ASFP within BuildUK (BuildScotland) and Chair of the Ayrshire Construction Training Group. Having played an active role on the ASFP Council Sharon is keen to further develop the PFP sector, promote competency and improve quality throughout the built environment. She wants to ensure the construction sector learns from the mistakes of the past and that passive fire and other key elements of construction are considered in a timely manner.

This popular annual networking event offered ASFP members and guests an opportunity to receive news of ASFP activities and hear about the Association’s future plans. It also featured regulatory updates and a keynote speech from Aman Sharma – CEO, Totus Digital and Past Deputy Chair of the Building Regulations Advisory Committee – on how digital innovation can deliver the ‘Golden Thread’ of information to improve building safety.

For further information on the ASFP visit: https://asfp.org.uk/