News

The British Woodworking Federation (BWF) has today announced that it will start the process to withdraw its membership of the Confederation of Timber Industries (CTI). The Confederation of Timber Industries was established in 2015 by the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) and the British Woodworking Federation (BWF). It is an umbrella organisation representing the timber supply chain. Following its inception, the membership has increased to include the Structural Timber Association (STA), Wood Protection Association and the Trussed Rafter Association (TRA).

Focus on primary objectives

In recent years, the CTI has focused on increasing the profile of the timber sector as a solution to help solve the UK’s housing and climate crises, with a heavy lean towards structural timber solutions. While the BWF has fully supported the work of the CTI and will continue to do so, the BWF Board and Council now wish for the BWF to step away from the CTI as a member, to focus on the primary objectives of the woodworking, joinery and manufacturing sector.

Change of direction

Helen Hewitt, CEO of the British Woodworking Federation, said: “There are many challenges and opportunities for the woodworking, and joinery industry as we ease towards the Road Map to Recovery. We have seen the direction of the CTI change in the last few years and noticed there is a much heavier focus on structural timber solutions rather than the full timber supply chain and its products, which has driven the decision to start the process to leave the CTI as a member association. We are fully confident that through our own PR strategy, intensive lobbying activities and our continued memberships of Trade Associations such as the Construction Products Association (CPA) and Build UK, we can continue to represent our members in the construction sector and with Government. She added: “We would like to thank Roy Wakeman the Chairman of the CTI and the CTI Board for their support and dedication over the last few years and shall look forward to continuing to work with our fellow Trade Associations to increase the use of timber as a preferred material of choice.”

For more information on the BWF, see www.bwf.org.uk, and for more on the CTI, visit www.cti-timber.org.