January 2019 was a busy month for BiKBBI. We held our Annual Conference at The Houses of Parliament, where we unveiled our plans for positive change via the Protected initiative.

We also announced the arrival of our latest Installation Standards Partner, Homebase.

In February we prepared for the arrival of our new IT platform affectionately named CAMS, short for Compliance and Administrative Management System. The new AI driven system that manages our members compliance information and their digital relationship with us.

March saw the arrival of two new board members, Jon Thelwell and Karen Stanley, who bring a wealth of experience to the organisation and depth to an impressive board.

We also provided an update to the industry on our Apprenticeship programme and an insight into our future plans.

As springtime and April arrived, we invited retailers to express an interest in the new Protected initiative.

May was a busy month as we welcomed new Retail Installation Standards Partner and respected retailer Leekes to the family. Our CEO Damian Walters also welcomed fellow Welshman and respected industry leader David Osborne and his premium Roman brand to the organisation as our latest Corporate Sponsor.

June was very much a mixed month for BiKBBI and its members. Bathstore (Limited) fell into administration, leaving members collectively out of pocket for sums in excess of £3.5m. BiKBBI stepped up support for members during difficult times. BiKBBI CEO worked with national press, including The Guardian to highlight the plight of members.

Buying group KBBG and BiKBBI joined forces to support its retail members and CEO Damian Walters also announced raised support for military veterans as part of a wider initiative to support veterans.

In response to the Bathstore situation, BiKBBI announced their MemberSafe initiative in July. An early warning mechanism to help members identify suppliers, manufacturers and retailers who may be in financial difficulty.

We was delighted to welcome Compusoft to the organisation as a Corporate Sponsor.

The bathroom giants arrived in August! Board strengthening continued with former Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA) CEO Yvonne Orgill joining BiKBBI. International premium bathroom brand Roca joins as a Corporate Sponsor.

During September we began the tough job of judging Installer of The Year for the awards ceremony later on in the year. In October we announced our finalists, representing businesses from across the UK.

November showed no sign of quieting down for BiKBBI.

Worktop Express became a Corporate Sponsor, joining an impressive portfolio of premium industry suppliers and manufacturers to support our objectives.

We welcomed some great new retailers to our Installation Standards Partner initiative. Respected bathroom retailers Fired Earth and Ripples (Birmingham) joined, together with new online business Foam & Bubbles.

Our Installer of the Year, Billy Ashcroft of Ashcroft Installations Limited (Cumbria), was celebrated at the ek&bbusiness Awards & Review in central London.

In December we confirmed our attendance at industry show KBB Birmingham 2020, launching our Get on the Bus campaign.

Right before our Christmas break, we squeezed in one last piece of news as we announced another strategic partnership with Trading Standards. We were delighted to announce that The Secretary of State had nominated BiKBBI for Primary Authority Partnership, managed by Nottingham Trading Standards.