BPCA Life membership is awarded to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the Association and the pest management sector as a whole. 

It’s the highest award BPCA can bestow and is only given out in exceptional circumstances by the BPCA Executive Board. You can learn more about nominating a life member on our award page. 

David Cross

Awarded March 2024.

David Cross from BPCA member company Rentokil was awarded a BPCA Life membership for his many contributions to committees and industry groups, including RAMPS, the BPCA Professional Standards Committee, the BPCA Servicing Committee, the RSPH Advisory Panel, the Apprenticeship Trailblazer Group, and CEPA. 

He has been instrumental in establishing several pest management qualifications, particularly around fumigation. 

More about David Cross

Dr Alan Buckle 

Awarded March 2021.

Throughout his career, Dr Buckle has published numerous papers and been involved in various projects, including eliminating immigrant rat populations on remote islands.

His work has placed the protection of public health at the forefront, from rodent depredations to the wider protection of the environment and our wildlife to the misuse of rodenticides that leads to resistance.

His incredible work in these areas led him to become Chairman of the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU) and the Rodenticide Resistance Action Group (RRAG).

More about Dr Alan Buckle

Frances McKim 

Awarded June 2020.

Frances launched BPCA’s Professional Pest Controller (PPC) magazine in 1993, and was publisher and editor of it for 15 years before launching Pest magazine with Helen Riby in November 2008. 

Through both magazines, she has made a significant contribution to the sector. Pest has established itself as a leading independent source of information for pest professionals, not only in the UK but around the world. Issue one came into circulation on 1 February 2009, and Frances and Helen continued to deliver the magazine continuously until Issue 66, published in December 2019. 

Additionally, Frances has served as Chair of the M&D Committee, on the BPCA Board and is a former President of the Association (1982/83). 

More about Frances McKim

Helen Riby 

Awarded June 2020.

Helen and Frances launched Pest in November 2008. Pest has established itself as a leading independent source of information for pest professionals, not only in the UK but around the world. Issue one came into circulation on 1 February 2009, and Frances and Helen went on to deliver the magazine continuously through to Issue 66, published in December 2019. 

Both Frances and Helen were stalwarts at BPCA and industry events, always providing good and relatively fair coverage of what the Association was doing for members and the wider sector. They held a real passion for the sector and the Association while they owned Pest and still do. 

More about Helen Riby

Dr Jonathan Wade 

Awarded June 2020.

Dr Jonathan Wade has had a distinguished career in the global pest control industry, beginning with a degree in Zoology and a PhD from the Liverpool School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for his work on vector mosquitoes. He served as an advisor to the Libyan Government on insect vectors of disease for nearly two years.

Jonathan then became Head of Pest Control in Dubai, where he spent eight years building an effective pest control unit of over 100 operatives. His department managed pest control across Dubai, from mosquitoes and rodents to feral cats and dogs, and established policies on habitat management, restaurant hygiene, and refuse collection. This role provided him with extensive experience as both a practical field pest controller and a strategic planner.

In 1987, Jonathan joined Zeneca Public Health as a Technical Manager, advising primarily in the Middle East. After eight years, he moved to PelGar International as Technical Director, where he was instrumental in growing the business to over 70 employees and sales in more than 50 countries. Known for his informative and entertaining presentation skills, Jonathan was highly sought after for training courses. He retired in 2015, stepping down as a Director but continued as Technical Coordinator until May 2018.

More about Dr Jonathan Wade

Richard Strand 

Awarded June 2017.

In his career, Richard Strand has been both an employee and an active member of the BPCA Board and Servicing Committee. His knowledge and commitment to the Association was commendable.

Richard commented to the Servicing Committee that he is immensely proud of BPCA and expressed how pleased he was that CEPA has come so far with BPCA taking a lead role were steering members towards CEPA Certified. Richard was a Director of CEPA in the early days when there were the first two/three member associations.  

He started his career in Pest Control in 1973 with the then British Rail Pest Control Unit in Manchester, as a raw Zoology graduate specialising in entomology. He went on to run the London based Southern Pest Control Unit from 1978 to 1981 and then, from 1985 to 1988 put all of British Rail's pest control work out to contract.  Having set up his own consultancy business in 2006, Richard writes a regular column in the Sunday Times where he answers readers' questions on pest control.  

He was subsequently the Executive Director of BPCA for 18 years, and is a past President of the Confederation of European Pest Management Associations (CEPA). More recently Richard was also a Board member of BPCA.   

In addition to training and examination work for the Royal Society of Public Health and Lantra Awards, writing articles for the trade and national press, Richard provided secretarial services for the Irish Pest Control Association (IPCA) and CEPA.  

More about Richard Strand

Kevin Higgins 

Awarded April 2007.

With a career in pest control stretching back over many years, Kevin operated his own pest management company, building it into a national account. During his time in membership, Kevin served an unprecedented three consecutive terms as President and is a life member of the Association, which was awarded back in 2006. 

After selling his company, Kevin continued to be involved with the Association, eventually joining the BPCA Staff team as a Regional Mentor in 2008. Later, his job title changed to Membership Manager, however his mission to share his wealth of business experience with BPCA members remained the same. 

Over his time with BPCA, Kevin helped develop the BPCA Diploma (which later became the Level 2 Award in Pest Management), was instrumental in establishing CPD for the sector and brought more SMEs into membership and onto the Board. 

He also established an NHS Model Contract for pest services. Kevin was an avid champion of BPCA Registered, seeing the recognition of individuals as an essential step for a professional sector. 

More about Kevin Higgins

Rob Fryatt 

Awarded April 2007.

The inaugural Global Ambassador Award was presented to Rob Fryatt, director of Xenex Associates and former director of the Confederation of European Pest Management Associations (CEPA). Cited as "a person who was a global ambassador for the pest management industry before we even realised that we were a global industry". Rob has made a career of promoting and enhancing the industry's professionalism, culminating in his chairmanship of the CEPA project to launch a European standard for pest management companies. 

Rob Fryatt said; "There can be no greater recognition within any industry than that of your colleagues. It does not matter who you work for, it is the people that make an industry, and over many years, I have been fortunate to work, and continue to work, with so many of you from all around the world." Rob added, "We work in a great industry and an industry that helps protect the health and hygiene of our fellow citizens, of this we can all be very proud." 

Tony Harman 

Awarded June 1998.

Awarded as he was retiring from his career in pest control, many years of which were spent managing his own Servicing company, Boxhill & Headley Pest Control and Services. Tony was involved with BPCA affairs in numerous capacities, most recently as chairman of the Servicing Committee, but also as an active member of the Executive Board, culminating in 1986/7 as President. 

Prof Nick Burgess 

Awarded September 1996.

Prof Nick Burgess was the Chairman of the Pest Control Industry Lead Body and was formerly from the Royal Army Medical College. 

Martin Evans

Awarded 1985.