PPC122 | ANNUAL REPORT

How BPCA committees are shaping the future of pest management
We held a roundtable conversation with our four committee chairs to reflect on the great work they all achieved with their fellow volunteers in 2025.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in action

PPC Let’s start with Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Julia, you’ve had a busy year and picked up a few awards along the way.

JT We have, and thank you. I think the biggest thing for the EDI committee this year has been moving from talking about EDI to actually doing something tangible. That’s been a really deliberate shift.

PPC What did that look like in practice?

JT Three main projects. The Open Doors Charter, the careers video, and the careers website, pestcareers.org.uk. The charter was actually written about two years ago, but we held off launching it because we weren’t sure the industry was ready. This year we decided we couldn’t wait any longer.

PPC Why now?

JT Because recruitment and retention are the number one issues I hear about when I speak to pest control companies. 

Everyone raises it. So we felt we needed to act and do something visible and practical that helps attract new people into the industry.

PPC The careers video feels like a big moment for BPCA.

JT It does. What I really love about it is that, aside from the lead actor, everyone in it is actually from the industry. It shows different customers, different situations, and different people. That was important to us. We wanted to show that pest management is welcoming to a wide pool of talent.

PPC And this is just the start?

JT Definitely. In 2026, our focus is on young people. We’re good at bringing in people who already have a connection to the industry, but we’re not great at reaching those who don’t. That’s what we’re working on next. We’ll be doing something at PestEx for young people and building better links with education and careers networks.

Julia Pittman
EDI Committee Chair

Outreach and Communications opening up the conversation

PPC Alex, you sit on a very different committee, but there’s an overlap here. Outreach and Communications has had a busy year too.

AW We have, and I’ll start by saying we were very happy to support Julia and her committee with the careers video. If you watch it closely and you know the industry, you'll spot some familiar faces.

PPC Including yourself.

AW Allegedly. And despite what some people will tell you, I only messed my lines up twice.

PPC Beyond the video, what’s been the biggest change for your committee?

AW Honestly, how we work. We’ve changed the format of our meetings. Instead of fewer big meetings, we’ve gone for more frequent, smaller, drop-in, drop-out sessions. That makes it far more accessible, especially for smaller businesses that can’t take a whole day out.

PPC And that feeds into next year?

AW Absolutely. In 2026, we want to open things up even more. We’re planning drop-in workshops and working groups where people don’t have to commit to a committee long-term to have their say. We want honest feedback from across the industry.

PPC On what sort of topics?

AW Everything from member benefits to qualifications to what BPCA should be doing better. We’ll gather that feedback, discuss it properly, and take it up to Board level. It’s about making sure decisions are grounded in reality.

PPC What's in the future plans for this committee?

AW Without giving too much away, look out for something called Uninvited Guests next year. It’s a new way of sharing information. Not a magazine, not an email, but something we think people will enjoy engaging with.

Alex Wade
Outreach and Communications Committee Chair

Professional Standards and raising the bar

PPC Martin, Professional Standards tends to be less flashy, but arguably just as important.

MRK That’s fair. We don’t have paid actors, but we do have some very big projects.

PPC The qualification framework being the obvious one.

MRK Exactly. It’s a huge piece of work and incredibly important for the industry. It links to professionalism, recruitment, retention and how government views us as a sector.

PPC What else has been keeping the committee busy?

MRK Onboarding has been a big success. It’s about bringing people into the industry properly and building a culture of CPD from the start. We’ve seen some really strong people come through that process already.

PPC You mentioned culture there.

MRK That’s the key thing. We’ve been working on changing how CPD is perceived. People aren’t being dragged through it anymore.

They’re talking about it, sharing ideas, engaging with learning. That shift didn’t happen overnight.

PPC And next year?

MRK Next year brings change. I’ll be stepping down, which the committee is very excited about. But seriously, it means fresh voices coming in while the big projects continue. We’ll be looking at assessments, the Master Technician scheme, and pushing the qualification framework into its next phase.

PPC Some people worry qualifications might put young people off.

MRK I’d really encourage people to talk to us about that. This isn’t about academic barriers. It’s vocational, hands-on, and about recognising competence. It gives people something to be proud of and helps customers and regulators understand what professional pest control actually looks like.

Martin Rose-King
Vice President and Professional Standards Committee Chair

Technical challenges and protecting the industry toolkit

PPC Kunal, the Technical Committee has had to deal with some thorny issues this year.

KP That’s putting it politely. One of the biggest has been the rodent glue board licensing scheme. It’s had unintended consequences, and members have been very clear about that.

PPC How did the committee respond?

KP We started by listening. We held a debate to gather views, then wrote an open letter to the Secretary of State setting out industry concerns.

That included calls to ban public sales of glue traps, strengthen enforcement, run public awareness campaigns and expand the professional licensing scheme.

PPC You’ve also shifted approach on pest-safe housing.

KP Yes. With the government commitment to implement Awaab’s Law, we believe our goals are best achieved by supporting and shaping that legislation rather than running parallel schemes. 

Ultimately, we all want healthier, pest-free homes.

PPC What’s on the agenda for next year?

KP Updating Codes of Best Practice will continue, but a big focus will be break-back traps. We want to look at a voluntary approval scheme before external regulation is imposed, to make sure traps are humane and effective.

PPC And your pitch to members?

KP This is where ideas turn into action. It’s a low-pressure, high-value way to influence standards and protect the industry’s toolkit. If you want to be part of meaningful change, this is where it happens.

Kunal Puri
Technical Committee Chair

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