Upkeep

The ECA and T.Clarke commissioned and installed a new domestic electrical display at Upkeep's permanent Building Museum exhibition, at The Building Centre, London, showcasing an environmentally friendly and safely wired home.

Director of the ECA, David Pollock said: "The ECA is pleased to work with T.Clarke on this educational display for Upkeep. We see the benefits as two fold; firstly we hope that by educating the public about safe electrical installation, highlighting the importance of hiring qualified contractors, we will assist efforts by government and industry to stamp out injuries and deaths caused by unsafe wiring."

"Secondly, the installation showcases the high standard of work carried out by T.Clarke apprentices and will allow visiting school pupils the opportunity to learn more about career opportunities available to them in the electrical industry."

Upkeep's permanent Insideout House exhibition is used as part of its training courses and can now be viewed by the general public and schools. The electrical display acts as one of a collection of full size examples of best practice in construction, maintenance and repairs. From roofing and window frames to wiring and plumbing, each display in the exhibition aims to provide practical, visual information about how to take care of the home inside and out.

T.Clarke has been employing apprentices since 1889 and provided two of it's JTL apprentices, Mark Hoare and Sean Folan to install the domestic display at Upkeep.

HR Director at T.Clarke, Alan Crozier said: "As a company, we strongly support the apprenticeship framework and strive to maintain the highest standards of training for our employees. We were delighted for the opportunity to be involved in a project that teaches the importance of safe electrical installation and to be able to demonstrate the high standard of work carried out by T.Clarke appentices."

Some 1,200 people attend courses at the Upkeep Building museum each year and it is hoped that, with further involvement from the industry, this educational resource will grow to benefit many more people.

Director of the charity, Annette McGill commented: "Upkeep believes that educating consumers to only employ qualified electricians is the best way to discourage rogue traders. The Upkeep exhibition is a free and useful resource for anyone interested in learning more about buildings and how to keep them healthy. The general public and industry is welcome to come along, take a look, asks questions and learn more."

Upkeep is an independent charity that teaches people how to look after buildings.  The charity was set up in 1979 with the aim of promoting good practice in building care.  Upkeep operates a permanent public exhibition about buildings and how to maintain and improve them. The trust also runs a busy programme of training courses about buildings and how to look after them.

Further information about Upkeep at www.upkeep.org.uk.

Further information about the ECA at www.eca.co.uk