We recently met with several key people working on a legacy-defining project that we’re lucky to witness. And we’re now allowed to tell you all about it!
Earlier this year our client, the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE), had a huge responsibility to oversee the success of the World Plumbing Conference – which had been brought to UK soil for the first time in 15 years and took place during InstallerSHOW.
WorldSkills
At the Conference, one of the most popular events was the UK Skills Forum. Participants who are heading out to Shanghai for the WorldSkills 2026 Plumbing and Heating competition were invited to the Conference for a chance to have a practice ahead of jetting off around the world later this month (good luck everyone)!
The practice was a practical assessment – including tradespeople from 16 different countries! They worked on their challenge with kit donated by several leading manufacturers including Mueller Europe Copper Tubes, Hinton Tools, Polypipe Building Products, Rothenberger, Aalberts, Monument Tools, LIXIL-GROHE, Fernox and Knipex.
At the end of the competition there was fantastic technical skill on show, but also a lot of kit left over after the doors to the show had closed.
Building a plumbing legacy
Determined to build a lasting legacy from the conference, and unwilling to see the equipment go to waste, the CIPHE partnered with the International Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation (IWSH) to donate equipment used at this year’s UK Skills Forum to Euston Skills Centre in London, where it will be used to train the next generation of plumbing and heating engineers.
Louchavan Lemard, winner of the first ever Plumber Awards – which we deliver the PR for – has helped facilitate this partnership due to the work he undertakes with students at the Centre. It’s a real example of what can happen when people with enough passion come together. InstallerOnline was with us at the meeting and now has exclusive access to the Centre to follow the story.
The donated tools and kit will be used for both hands-on student training and, where suitable, out on live projects near the college. This means that students can learn their trade while directly reusing materials in their local community. IWSH works on similar projects around the world, but this is the first time the organisation has delivered a project like this in the UK.
We’re hoping to be able to bring news of a completed project very soon, so watch this space. Meanwhile, to the trailblazing students in Euston – use the kit well and we hope it helps you to gain real life valuable experience.