On Wednesday, 11th September, Community Gateway Association (CGA) hosted a successful Gas Forum as part of this year’s Gas Safety Week. The event brought together 18 gas safety and servicing professionals from across the Northwest for a three-hour session filled with insightful presentations and discussions on key industry challenges.
CGA’s Gas Manager, John Madigan, chaired the forum, leading discussions on important topics like reducing ‘no access’ visits, the MOT-style Landlord Gas Safety Record (LGSR), legionella inspections and much more.
The forum featured presentations from industry experts:
- Jamie Penny from Mitsubishi Electric discussed the Ecodan Air Source Heat Pumps and the challenges of retrofitting.
- Mike Bradley from Vericon Systems highlighted the importance of monitoring humidity and temperature levels to maximise boiler efficiency.
- Terry Rigby from Morgan Lambert provided insights into the latest landlord responsibilities from the Technical Bulletin 055.
Phil Parramore, Chair of the CGA Board, praised the event, saying:
“The forum was excellent. The content was engaging and varied, making it both informative and enjoyable. I took away a lot of valuable insights, and it was clear from the feedback in the room that everyone else did as well. I particularly appreciated the discussions on improving efficiency and saving time for our gas operatives, allowing them to complete more checks and reach more of our tenants.
“I’m really proud that CGA took the initiative to host this event for gas managers in the area. It’s clear that everyone benefitted from the exchange of ideas, and I’m excited to see how our gas team will grow and apply what we’ve learned today.
“Our officers are always eager to see how other housing associations manage their gas services - we want to learn from them and share our own best practices, too. We have an outstanding team here and they have a lot to be proud of.”
Jason Lamb, Gas Safety Manager at Progress Housing Group, also commented on the value of the event:
“It’s been brilliant - connecting with like-minded companies and seeing how we measure up against similar firms is invaluable.
“We’re all facing the same challenges: a tough market, aging housing stock, and limited resources. Coming together to share best practices, tips, and advice benefits not just us, but all of our tenants.
“I’ve been wanting to connect with John [Madigan] for some time now, as it’s important for gas managers to collaborate. I think it would be great if we took turns hosting a Gas Forum - it’s something we should definitely keep going.”
Michael Quinn, Building Safety Gas Manager at Great Places Housing Group, added:
“It was incredibly informative. We should definitely do this more often. Sharing best practices with other Gas Managers in the Northwest is invaluable because we’re all dealing with similar challenges. While our procedures might differ, the solutions and innovations are often the same and there’s so much we can learn from one another.
“Every day is a learning opportunity, and today was no exception. I’m especially excited about the insights on MOT-style gas safety certificates, which I’ll be taking back to my team.”
The forum not only highlighted the importance of gas safety but also strengthened connections between professionals dedicated to ensuring the well-being of tenants across the region.
Community Gateway Association's latest figures on annual gas safety checks are also very encouraging: we have completed 100% of all necessary checks in the last four months. This means that every CGA property currently has a valid LGSR (Landlord Gas Safety Record) which need to be re-assessed once a year.
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