As you may have seen over the last few weeks, KDM Group is now the official Scottish FA’s grassroots partner who has relaunched the soccer centre national football programme for primary school-aged girls across the country. These sessions give girls the ability to develop their skills and meet new friends in a fun and friendly environment all whilst improving their fitness and showcasing our stars of the future.

Targeting 80 centres and with more than 21,000 registered players across the country, this programme will also help to bolster the continued growth of the game.

Each region will have a dedicated ambassador from the Scotland Women’s National Team:

North – Rachel Corsie

Central – Lee Gibson

West – Chloe Arthur

East – Lisa Evans

South-East – Claire Emslie

South-West – Erin Cuthbert

Scotland Women’s National Team goalkeeper, Lee Gibson, helped to launch the programme at Dalgety Bay in Fife. Lee said: “For me to come to nights like this, it’s amazing to see how far the game has grown.

“Looking around and seeing so many young girls playing football – this is what it’s all about. We want to try to inspire them to take up football, the numbers are at a record high and long may that continue.”

“It’s an amazing programme that I’m really proud to be part of.”

Sam Milne is the Scottish FA’s Club Development Officer, East Region: “We’ve recently launched our ‘Football for All’ strategy and these centres are part of helping to implement that and offer more girls the chance to get involved in football.”

“It was great to have Lee at the launch so that the girls could meet a genuine role model who is playing the game at an elite level. It was amazing to see their reaction and how much it meant to them.”

“This really is a fantastic programme that will help supplement the continued growth of the game as well as support our ambition to keep providing as many playing opportunities as possible.”

Mark Jones an Executive Director of KDM Group highlighted “Realistically, this is about young girls having the opportunity to get involved. We want to help provide a platform for them to learn about football and enjoy the game.”

“It’s not just about the physical benefits, you can see the smiles on their faces when you watch them play. The profile of women’s football is getting bigger every day and young girls deserve the opportunity and environment to show how good they can be.”

“By investing in the soccer centres, we hope we can do our bit to help the development of the women’s game.”

You can watch the video launch here: https://youtu.be/7eyAS1Hf8FA

Parents/carers can find their local KDM Group Soccer Centre at scottishfa.co.uk/soccercentres

About KDM

KDM is a Principal contractor and specialist fit-out contractor who also manufactures and designs in the construction sector. We are based in Dalgety Bay and have regional hubs in Leeds, Warrington, Chelmsford and Zeeland, Netherlands. We operate locally, nationally, and multi-nationally for many blue-chip clients throughout the UK and EU.

Since the Grenfell Towers disaster, we have seen much-needed changes to regulations and a drive for certification to show that manufactured & installed construction products are fit for purpose, fire doors being one of them.

With more stringent tender requirements and requests for certification, KDM wanted to close the loop and provide our customer base with the additional peace of mind that KDM Group’s manufactured and installed fire doors have been independently certified with the Q-Mark rating by BM Trada. This is a formal recognition of commitment to quality and best practices in the manufacturing & installation of fire doors.

It is a legal requirement for fire door manufacturers to demonstrate that their products can resist the passage and spread of fire, but the Q Mark Scheme ensures that the fire doors are installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions or appropriate Building Regulation guidelines. Should the fire doors not be installed properly their fire resistance capabilities can be seriously compromised.

According to BM Trada’s website, the scheme aims to provide the following:

Raise the ongoing standard of installation of fire doors
Ensure the product’s fire resistance capabilities are maintained
Ensure the product’s service life is maximized through correct installation
Provide peace of mind that the Installer is suitably qualified and that their work is continually assessed by an independent body
Provide specifiers with the means to demonstrate that the installation meets the required standard.

Pete McQueen, Production Director, noted “KDM pride ourselves on the quality of our manufacturing, craftsmanship and installation of our goods. We wanted to emphasise this, and partner with an industry-recognised accreditation, which led us to BM Trada ‘Q-Mark’ Scheme. We felt this scheme not only supported us but showcased the commitment and due diligence for both the manufacture and installation of our fire doors. Thus, providing peace of mind to our customer base that our doors not only meet the fire-resistant requirements but are certified throughout the process.

Mark Jones, Executive Director added, “With the Q Mark scheme, we can guarantee the integrity of the door giving our clients comfort that doors provided by KDM meet the current building regulations. We always aim to provide our customers with a turnkey solution which minimises the number of suppliers and contractors they need to engage which hopefully leads to cost savings for our clients.

You can watch our door being tested to gain the accreditation – if you have a spare 1 hour 7 minutes you can watch in full on our YouTube channel.

Our technical expertise

Our manufacturing facility has the technical capability, quality assurance and operational flexibility at its core. With CAD-operated machinery, we can fast-track volume joinery or one-off bespoke projects with on-time delivery of the exact product ordered.

With decades of experience in timber manufacturing, lamination and solid surface fabrication complimented with our custom-built in-house spray booth, we produce functional, quality and value-for-money furniture.

KDM Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Alan Hume as Head of Operations (ROI & NI) who will be based in our Dublin office.

Alan has joined the KDM team to promote and develop our company’s continued expansion into Ireland primarily focussing on developing our list of Irish clients and supply chain networks whilst assisting the team to successfully deliver projects for our existing clients.

Alan, who previously served with Gleave Partnership as a Senior Associate has over 35 years experience in the Construction & Fitout industry working in various sectors including Retail, Commercial, Education, Leisure, Petro-Chem, Domestic and Mixed Use.

He has successfully delivered various types of construction projects across the UK and Ireland ranging from New Builds to Retro-fits and Expansion projects. Installations of large-scale VNA Racking schemes, IT and Security Systems, Logistics centres and Hazardous Material Storage Build Out Projects.

Alan has worked with some of the main players in retail such as Amazon, Asda, Tesco, and Lidl and is well versed in working in live environments such as shopping centres and retail outlets, delivering fast-track fit-outs incorporating the installation of all M&E services.

He has also overseen complex high-risk construction activities such as piling, erection of steel and timber framed buildings, constructed internal mezzanine floors, external mezzanine deck car parks, petrol filling stations and highway works.

Commenting on the appointment, Executive Director, Mark Jones: “I am delighted that Alan will be joining us as Head of Operations for ROI & NI. Alan’s incredibly strong knowledge and experience will be vital as we continue our ambitious plans to grow and develop solutions for our clients in this region. He will be a great asset to our team.”

KDM Group – [email protected]

Ensuring our mental health is being looked after should be a primary concern for us all but there are times when this can be challenging, overwhelming and feeling impossible for some people. We live in difficult times which can put a strain on us mentally, physically, and emotionally whilst we continue to try and carry on normally.

According to the priory group, 1 in 6 people or approximately 45.8 million adults report experiencing symptoms of common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression in any given week in England alone.

Working in the construction industry can have additional pressures especially when it comes to being in a predominantly male environment who have been led to believe that “man up” is an acceptable statement. It’s these damaging attitudes and opinions that have driven men to believe that they need to suffer in silence whilst circling the plates of life.

In the HSE report Construction statistics in Great Britain, 2022, it’s estimated there were 21,000 work-related cases of stress, depression, or anxiety (new or long-standing), which is 27% of all ill health in this sector. Source: LFS, estimated annual average 2019/20-2021/22.

The Lighthouse Club Construction Industry Charity also states that every single working day in the UK, 2 construction workers take their own lives which are hard-hitting and sad statistics that could be prevented if the right help and support were in place.

The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity is the only charity that provides emotional, physical and financial well-being support to construction workers and their families. They receive no public funding and rely on the generosity of those within the industry to help them continue their vital work.

At the KDM Group, we want to help break the stigma of mental health which is why we have become a proud supporter of this amazing charity and help change the mindset that it’s ok not to be ok and that it’s good to talk, without being judged for our own team but across the industry as a whole.

If you need help or support please contact the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity, 24/7 on 0345 605 1956.

KDM Group – [email protected]

As we draw closer to the end of another year, we thought we would take this opportunity to reflect on 2022 and thank our customers for their continued support and also recognise the efforts of our Team and supply chain throughout the year.

For KDM Group, this year has been another busy year! Our people worked tirelessly to deliver our forecasts and meet client programmes. Our team has grown, with new colleagues added and new offices in Dublin and Chelmsford enhancing our ability to provide turnkey solutions to our customers in new regions.

Unfortunately, with every high, there come some lows and 2022 has had its challenges with rising material costs, longer lead times, rising energy costs, cost of living, inflation and an economy still trying to recover from a global pandemic. All these factors contribute to challenges for our Team who will continue to meet them head-on into 2023 and we will remain focused on ensuring we provide unparalleled service for our customers.

A huge thank you to our customers who have trusted us with their business and to turn their visions into realities. We will continue to strive to earn your business every day by delivering the safest, highest quality and most cost-effective service and products we can.

To the KDM Group team and partners, we thank you for your exceptional commitment, determination, and hard work throughout the year. Our combined strength is what makes us successful as a company and we are truly grateful for your valuable contributions.

As we head into 2023, we are excited to embrace new challenges and opportunities, whilst continuing to engage our customers and prospects on where we can improve their experience and serve their needs in 2023 and beyond.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families a peaceful and wonderful holiday period and we look forward to the challenges that 2023 may bring!

Iain Jones & Mark Jones

Christmas is a magical time of year but for some families, it’s additional stress & pressure on what’s an already challenging time with rising energy bills and a struggle to put food on the table, never mind presents under a tree.

So, this year, our Charity Committee decided to give a helping hand to The Gift of Christmas Appeal Fife with over £700 worth of toys and £500 to the local Trussell Trust food banks in each of KDM s four UK locations.

The Gift of Christmas Appeal Fife is now in its 7th year running and they aim to ensure that every child and young person in Fife, aged between 0-18 years, have gifts to open on Christmas morning.

The Gift of Christmas Appeal Fife is run entirely by volunteers, 5 of whom are also trustees. They don’t receive any money for their time, petrol, expenses, or any sponsorship. Every penny of all cash donations they receive is spent on gifts for the children and the young people they support.

With the rising costs, Food banks are under serious pressure due to not getting the same amount of donations as they previously would have done. The Trussell Trust has declared it an emergency with a food parcel being given out every 13 seconds. We wanted to give our support to the Trussell Trust food banks and have donated food to the Dunfermline, Leeds, Warrington and Chelmsford food banks.

Women’s football has been around since 1895 but was banned in 1921 due to it being deemed unsuitable for women. It’s hard to believe that only 51 years ago women were allowed to start playing again.

Although women have been playing since 1971, over the last few years, it has grown off and on the pitch and now is getting the following and support it deserves. The Lionesses’ win at the Euros this year certainly bolstered this and exemplified that women should be playing and earning respect in football and that we need diversity and participation in the sport.

KDM Group has a passion for football which is apparent through our sponsorships and being the official partner of the Scottish Cup for the 2021/2022 season and recently the renaming of Dunfermline Athletic FC home ground to KDM Group East End Park.

When the opportunity arose for us to become a sponsor for Finchampstead Girls FC in Wokingham, Berkshire by supplying home and away strips to two teams we were thrilled to help support the team. Which has impressively grown from 5 members to just under 100 in 5 years.

As a diverse employer who actively seeks to break down barriers, we are now a proud sponsor for Finchampstead Girls FC for Under 11’s and 12’s and we hope to grow the relationship with the club in the coming months and years.

Want to know more? You can follow the team’s growth and success on Twitter @FinchGirlsFC

KDM is a Principal contractor providing specialist fit-out services to complement our manufacturing & design facilities in the construction sector. We operate locally, nationally, and multi-nationally for many blue-chip clients throughout the UK and EU.

Get in contact with us today at [email protected]

KDM Group is excited to announce that it is expanding with the introduction of our new office in Dublin. The Dublin office is an important step to expanding our presence in the Republic of Ireland and the surrounding areas. This is a great chance for our company to build on our relationships with our client base in the area and to create new relationships for the future of our business.

The new premises originally stemmed from a successful contract win with a large international logistics company to deliver the fit out at their new distribution unit near Rathcoole. This delivered a strong testament to KDM’s commitment to supporting their client in their expansion journey.

The addition of our Dublin office is key to our ongoing success and growth in Europe and the UK and is underpinned by the knowledge and expertise of the team. The new office in Dublin is an important step for the development of our company that allows us to get access to more talent, offer better services, and broaden our scope.

Mark Jones, Executive Director said “We are excited to announce the opening of our new Dublin office. It’s a big step for the company to open another office after the recent expansion in Warrington and Chelmsford but we are optimistic about the new opportunities Dublin brings in terms of recruitment and new business. We continue to expand our vision to provide a quality service with global presence and local representation.”

KDM Group is delighted to introduce our newest team member Lloyd Bamford, as part of our Business Development Team.

Lloyd is a retail design and delivery specialist who brings a wealth of experience that will serve our clients well from his previous roles which include a seven-year stint at Morrisons, 5 years as Head of Construction and Services and 12 years at Tesco, 2 of those years were Tesco International.

The appointment is part of an ongoing development programme that has seen the company expand substantially. We are keen to build on our success and see the sales team as key to this.

Although Lloyd is well known within the construction industry, his new role will involve getting to know KDM Group and our business community whilst developing overall client relationships to support their business growth and deliver store environments for their customers to enjoy their shopping mission.

Mark Jones, Executive Director said: “We’re delighted to have Lloyd on board. His extensive experience across the retail sector will prove to be a huge asset for us moving forward. We’re always looking for ways to grow and develop the support we offer, so I’m excited to see what influence Lloyd can bring to our team and the clients we work with in the months to come.”

About KDM

KDM Group is delighted to announce that they have struck a major partnership agreement with Dunfermline Athletic Football Club which will see the club’s home stadium renamed as KDM Group East End Park.

In a first of its kind deal for the club, KDM Shopfitting Limited who trade as KDM Group has signed a long-term and wide-ranging partnership with extensive branding of the stadium along with a number of digital and experiential rights. Previously, the company was back of shirt partner and has enjoyed a long standing relationship with the club.

Incorporated in 1999, KDM Group offers a variety of construction services to many blue chip clients across the UK and Europe which include interior fit out, project management, manufacturing and design. The company is based locally in Dalgety Bay with further operations across the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland.

Recently, KDM Group gained further recognition with Scottish Football fans following the company’s sponsorship of the Scottish Cup in season 2021/22.

Commenting on the partnership, DAFC Chairman and CEO David Cook said: “I am thrilled to announce the deepened partnership with KDM Group – an innovative and growing brand working with some of the biggest companies in the UK. As a successful, locally based brand, who have sponsored some of the biggest football assets in Scotland, we are delighted to secure this partnership. We are confident we can play our part in helping to grow KDM Group’s brand awareness and to showcase some of their outstanding services at the newly branded stadium.

In addition, Iain and Mark Jones are both Dunfermline born and bred and are well aware of the importance of the club to the local community. They understand the heritage of the club and were keen that East End Park remained a vital part of the newly named stadium from the beginning of our discussions. We are all looking forward to many more great matches at KDM Group East End Park.”

KDM Group Chief Executive Iain Jones also commented on the announcement: “For many years I have supported the club and have always wanted the best for the club on and off the pitch. This partnership opportunity between DAFC and KDM not only gives the club some long term commitment from a major sponsor to offer support in many ways but also gives me great personal pleasure to assist the club which is so close to my heart.”