When you work in passive fire protection, you don’t really get “quiet” years — but 2025 genuinely felt like one of those years where a lot came together at once. Big projects, new clients, long-standing relationships, and plenty happening behind the scenes to keep raising the bar on compliance and quality.
A particular standout moment for us was finishing 2025 as runner-up in an ASFP award category for Best Large Scale Installation Project of the Year (over £1m). That recognition was for the work completed for Laing O’Rourke on the new Everton FC Stadium, and I’m proud of the whole team for what went into delivering that properly. Awards aren’t why we do it, but it’s a good feeling when the industry notices the standard of work being delivered on site.
We were also grateful to continue working with a lot of our long-standing clients — Kier, Morgan Sindall, Vinci, Wates, Willmott Dixon, Laing O’Rourke, BAM, Russells WBHO, Serco, Sodexo and more. If you’re in construction, you’ll know repeat work doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when people trust you to turn up, coordinate properly, do the work to spec, and leave behind the right evidence and paperwork — not just a tidy finish.
Alongside that repeat work, we also had some great wins with new relationships. One that stands out is ULCCO at Crown Place Liverpool. We completed works there and have since been awarded further works, which is always a strong sign you’ve done things the right way first time.
A few other projects we were proud to complete (and in some cases secure follow-on phases) included:
- Project Red at Manchester Royal Hospital (Vinci)
- Dixons Academy (Morgan Sindall)
- Pendle Police Station (Willmott Dixon)
We also secured some large scale wins with imminent programmes, including replacing all fire stopping on a large residential development at Sport City Manchester, and work at Wythenshawe Hospital. Those types of jobs are serious in terms of scale and responsibility, and they really reinforce why quality systems, inspection points, and consistent site standards matter.
Behind the scenes, we put a lot of effort into competence and training. We delivered CPD training for all staff around the Building Safety Act, plus several other subjects. It’s not just “training for the sake of it” either — the industry is moving in a direction where evidence, responsibility, and accountability are more important than ever. If anyone wants the official guidance, GOV.UK is the best place to start:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-building-safety-act
One change that made a real difference in 2025 was bringing in a full-time Compliance Manager. We promoted Brian Clark into that role from site supervisor, which I’m particularly pleased about — it’s great to see someone step up internally and take ownership of quality, H&S, and compliance. We also supported Brian in gaining his IOSH certification during the year, which strengthens what we’re doing across sites and helps keep everything consistent.
We also welcomed Kyle Peters BSc (Hons) as an assistant estimator and QS. Kyle brings a level of youth to the team (and a good attitude), and we’ve already been developing his fire protection knowledge in his first year. The plan is simple: keep building that knowledge year on year and invest in long-term capability.
Outside of work, one of the nicest parts of the year was sponsoring Northop Hall Under 12’s girls football team — and seeing them go on to win three separate titles. We couldn’t be more proud of them. It’s a good reminder that community support matters, and it’s something we genuinely enjoy being part of.
Sadly, 2025 also had a tough moment for the team as we said goodbye to John Spellman, a 30-year time-served operative. John was a real character and a true family man, and he’ll be massively missed.
To close the year, we also renewed CHAS and Constructionline to Gold status, including the newer aspects that align with Building Safety Act requirements and expectations. For anyone unfamiliar, CHAS is one of the main UK compliance schemes used across construction supply chains:
If I had to sum 2025 up in a sentence, it would be this: a year of big delivery on site, and stronger systems off site — with a team that kept pushing standards forward.
