PPC119 | EDITORIAL

As a magazine and a trade association, we’re meant to be noisy. We need to shout loudly about what’s going on in the industry and call out what’s going wrong when we see it. BPCA’s noisy open letter to Defra or our billboard bin-strike campaign are great examples of what a noisy professional association can do.

But as my old school teacher would say, you’ve got two ears and one mouth. Being a professional pest management association requires us to be twice as good at listening as we are at being noisy. 

As you open PPC119, our brand‑new Chief Executive, Rosina Robson, will have just taken the helm. Her diary for the first few months is intentionally crammed with member site visits, staff huddles and getting to know the sector. You’ll see her out-and-about (and if you happen to be doing your BPCA/RSPH Level 2 Award this summer, you might just share a classroom with her). If you spot her on the road, or in your inbox, don’t hold back: tell her what matters to you - she’s in listening mode.

In April, we held our inaugural Volunteer Days, bringing staff and volunteers together for a roll‑up‑your‑sleeves session at BPCA HQ. Strategy workshops, networking, and committee projects - it was a busy day of volunteers listening to each other and putting pen to paper to plan projects for the future. We hear those common themes: skills shortages, customer expectations, legislation and toolkit concerns. 

With Niall joining the technical team, we’ve injected fresh energy into long‑standing Special Interest Groups (SIGs), while launching two completely new groups: BugWise and RodentWise. The brief is simple: specialists talk, BPCA listens, and together we turn insight into guidance, CPD content and, when needed, lobbying campaigns. If you’ve ever muttered “someone should really look at that”, now’s the moment to get involved (or head to bpca.org.uk/groups).

At PPC Live in Harrogate, hundreds of pest professionals shared what’s on their minds. The BPCA stand was busy all day with your questions and comments. Thank you to everyone who made their way to the sunny Great Yorkshire Event Centre to speak with us.

Nowhere has your feedback proved more valuable than the BPCA Qualifications Framework. After months of open consultation, surveys, focus groups and more than a few late‑night calls, we’re moving full steam ahead with new entry-Level 3 qualifications. 

Great things happen when BPCA members speak up, from committee projects to the future of pest management qualifications; everything you say really does matter. Don’t be quiet about your industry. 

And tell us what you want covered in PPC magazine or your BPCA Forums. Deep dives into rodent behaviour? Business‑building case studies? Back-to-basics myth‑busting? 

Listening is only half the story; acting on what we hear is where progress lives. With your voices ringing in our ears and Rosina’s notepad already brimming, we're confident the next twelve months will see BPCA deliver the support and representation you deserve. Let’s keep the conversation going!

Scott and Kat
PPC editors
hello@bpca.org.uk

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