From the outset I have been delighted to get a very positive response from my fellow contractors in what we have been trying to achieve in establishing quality standards in hard metal roofing and cladding. Just as pleasing has been the terrific support from the manufacturers and distributors who have enlisted as associate members supporting our ideals and providing a significant indicator of the potential value of the UK market.

It is worth just noting exactly what we have achieved from what was very much a standing start.

• At the start of the year we have 30 Members from across the UK 

• We have 18 Associate members, including all the significant European manufacturers from the aluminium, copper, steel and zinc sectors, plus the major specialist UK distributors. 

• Our first Directory was issued free to 16,000 architects, specifiers and surveyors and resulted in a steady stream of enquiries for the services of our members. 

• Our web site www.ftmrc.co.uk was set up and immediately began recording "hits" from those seeking the services and products of our members and associates. 

• We have developed and published our "Guide to Good Practice" which provides an easy to use technical reference and contains key information regarding the design and installation detailing of traditional metal roofing, complete with tables, illustrations and photographs. The Guide is being used within both training and vetting programmes, as well as providing a practical on-site technical reference and specifiers guide. 

• With the substantial support of VM Zinc, we created a Metal Roof Academy at the Building Crafts College in London and delivered zinc training courses to both members and non members. By the end of the year this had been supplemented by further support from KME, enabling us to also provide training courses in copper. 

I appreciate that some contractors may have heard of the FTMRC starting up and perhaps decided to adopt a watching brief to see if this new organisation that promised so much, could actually deliver. 

Well, as we said in the last Directory, FTMRC really could stand for "First to Meet Real Challenges". 

I hope now that we have demonstrated what we can achieve, we will have more contractors deciding it was time to become involved in the New Voice in Metal Roofing. 

Because we haven't finished yet! 

Our next step is to make training more accessible by the creation of a network of regional training bases around the country and as this directory goes to press we already have commitments for a base in Scotland, the Midlands and two in the South. 

The first edition of our Guide to Good Practice was a good start and has been very well received, but is a long way from being the finished article. We have already produced a supplementary technical update on underlays and will be addressing a number of other issues as further supplements, before producing a revised GTGP in 2010 and ultimately an adopted Code of Practice. 

Our vetting programme, which monitors the standards of workmanship among our existing and potential members, is itself a work in progress, as we look to raise the quality of our assessment of both design (setting out) and installation. 

As our associate membership expands, so does the range of products and services in which we are becoming involved and we plan a series of regional technical seminars during 2009 which will enable our manufacturing friends to present their products to our members and provide a technical discussion forum for their application and use. 

So it is with some excitement that I and my fellow Council Members now look forward to continuing with a sense of purpose the momentum that has been started. 

FTMRC - not just contractors, but manufacturers, distributors and allied services, all going forward together!