NAMM Training Courses 2012 - Memorial Restoration and Refurbishment

NAMM continues to develop and promote new training courses for Memorial Masons. This year we are developing a course on Memorial Restoration which will include the refurbishment of larger memorials and monuments and is in addition to the dismantling and re-fixing course already available. The course will also include the use of a gantry and lifting equipment. To register an interest in the course please contact NAMM HQ. Venues and dates have still to be arranged.

Administrator - 04/01/2012

Technical Questions

Over the past twelve months NAMM's Technical officers have answered questions and querries from Memorial Masons, Burial Authorities and members of the public. This service is also available to those registered on the RQMF and anyone who has any questions or technial problems then please either post the question here or send it into NAMM HQ by post or e-mail. The technical officers will answer all enquiries received within a short time.

Administrator - 04/01/2012

TAF comment on the NAMM versus Cardiff City Council Case

Since its formation in 1997, the Trade Association Forum (TAF) has been encouraging the development and sharing of best practice among UK trade associations and promoting the role of effective trade associations to government, industry and the wider public:

The following statement is made by Selman Ansari who is a barrister working as a consultant to TAF and specialising in Public, administrative, regulatory and competition law, and general litigation.

We believe that Mr Ansari's independant report on the case clearly sums up the reasons why this issue came to court and explains why the judge ruled in favour of NAMM.


Rival trade associations, bias and competition concerns:

In the recent case of National Association of Memorial Masons v Cardiff City Council a type of fight that may be familiar to members of TAF led to court proceedings and a clear ruling from the judge.
The facts were that the National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM) began to operate the British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons (BRAMM). The Council's head of bereavement services was also the president of another trade association, the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM). After some years, ICCM clashed with NAMM over the operation of BRAMM. NAMM soon after stopped running the BRAMM scheme and BRAMM became an independent trade association itself. NAMM subsequently established a new register. (RQMF)
NAMM's complaint to the court arose when the Council banned masons on NAMM's register from operating in Council sites. The court agreed with NAMM that the Council's decision had the appearance of bias and set it aside.
Trade associations that are involved in the setting of quality standards often face situations where there are disagreements with the way that those standards are administered. It is important to ensure that any standards are set in as objective and fair way as possible. This not only makes the content of those standards very difficult to dispute but also means that where third parties, such as the Council in this case, wish to act unfairly towards the trade association administering them, they are, from the outset, in a very difficult position. Finally, the OFT is far more likely to welcome demonstrably genuine quality standards, as opposed to investigate them!

By Selman Ansari, Of Counsel
Bates Wells and Braithwaite London LLP

Administrator - 22/12/2011

Fixing in cold weather

As the year comes to an end and the colder weather is now with us, please remember that once the temperature drops to near freezing fixing becomes almost imposssible. The NAMM COWP section 3 Cements and adhesives mentions this and reccomends (on advice form the British Cement Association) that cement should not be used at temperatures below 5 degrees, as the water can freeze before it mixes properly with the cement. Using frost proofer can allow fixing to continue at temperatures below 5 degrees but fixing should be postponed if prolonged periods of hard frost are predicted. Memorials fixed when the temperature is low should be protected from frost.

Administrator - 18/12/2011

Memorial Carving Course at The Orton Trust

The Memorial Carving course to be held at The Orton Trust 17-19 February 2012 has two places available. The Course is free to employees of NAMM Full retail members and £150.00 for non NAMM members.

Please contact NAMM HQ for more information if you are interested in filling either of the last two places.

Administrator - 06/12/2011

Confirmation of acceptance of the RQMF register

RQMF is pleased to announce that Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council now recognises the RQMF and will permit masons on the register to work in the cemeteries within this authority. This includes Pleasington Cemetery, Blackburn Cemetery, Darwen Old/New Cemetery and Darwen Eastern Cemetery

Administrator - 10/11/2011

RQMF Appeals procedure

The appeals procedure which a registered business or RQMF fixer can follow if sudject to disciplinary proceedings is now ready to go for consultation and will be published here shortly.

Appeals will be handled by a panel of qualified City and Guilds level 2 assessors who shall be independant of The RQMF, NAMM and the Burial Authorities and shall only consider the facts as presented by all parties.

The decision or ruling of the appeals panel will be final.

Administrator - 01/11/2011

Memorial Carving Course at The Orton Trust 17th - 19th February 2012

The dates for the Memorial Carving course at the Orton Trust are 17th to 19th Februrary 2012, this course is specific to the good design and executuion of memorials of all kinds and begins with a study of memorials both ancient and modern. Students are then helped to design a memorial feature, set it out on stone or slate and carve it in relief. The is course held over three days and is suitable for all levels of ability. The Course includes lunch on each day but not accomodation or travelling. The course is FREE to full retail members of NAMM and places are allocated on a first come first served basis and limited to one person per member company, there are two extra places available for paying students at a cost of £150.00 per student, BOOK NOW with NAMM HQ to secure a place. For further information on the course check the Orton Trust Wesite www.ortontrust.org.uk

Administrator - 01/11/2011

Blue Book versus NAMM COWP

To read the various pontifications on the merits the BRAMM Blue book you would believe that a new wheel had been invented, the truth of the matter is that this publication falls short of the amount of information contained in the NAMM Code of Working practice by a considerable distance. The Blue Book only gives guidance on how to fix a simple lawn memorial; there is no information with regard to tablets, plaques, full grave memorials, kerbs, canopies, arches and no information regarding larger types of memorials.

The NAMM Code of Working practice contains a much more comprehensive guide to all types of memorial and fixings and includes other useful information for the memorial mason including a section on the emotive subject of memorial testing, I wonder if this is why the greater majority of Burial Authorities acknowledge that the NAMM Code of Working Practice is the only official industry standard and not a very poor copy.

J Little - 31/10/2011

Reply: Please note that comments posted in the forum are monitored but do not represent the view or opinion of the RQMF or NAMM.

Memorial Carving Course at The Orton Trust

NAMM is offering places on a memorial carving course at The Orton Trust Northants, this course is specific to the good design and executuion of memorials of all kinds and begins with a study of memorials both ancient and modern. Students are then helped to design a memorial feature, set it out on stone or slate and carve it in relief. The course held over three days and is suitable for all levels of ability. The Course includes lunch on each day but not accomodation or travelling.

This offer is limited to 8 places and will be free to full retail members of NAMM, to non NAMM members the cost will be £150.00 for the three days.

More information with regards to dates etc will be given when we have them but if you wish to register an interest then please contact NAMM HQ.

Administrator - 05/10/2011