LATEST NEWS AND EVENTS

October 2011	THE BFA FLORIGUARD CUP SPONSORED BY BRIDGE INSURANCE BROKERS AT FLEUREX 2011 This competition is open to all florists.  You are invited to design and construct a floral object/ sculpture to be placed in a Contemporary Hotel foyer for a conference promoting “Think Green ‘’ The judges will expect fresh flower/foliage and plant material to predominate. Competitors must provide their own plinth/base/stands/containers. Space allowed 100cm x 100cm with no height restriction. The judges will be looking for a high standard of design and technical skill. 1st  Place £75.00 plus the BFA Floriguard Cup. 2nd Place £ 65.00 3rd Place £55.00 This competition will be limited to 15 entries. CLICK HERE to register. Please note: You will need to purchase a ticket to the show in order for you to be able to register your competition entry.
October 2011	JOIN US AT BFA FLEUREX 2011 The British Florist Association is pleased to announce the details of FleurEx 2011 – the only tradeshow for the professional florist. Taking place at the Clarendon Suites in Birmingham on SUNDAY 30th OCTOBER the event is the only showcase within the floristry calendar for exhibitors, competitors and florists to come together. The BFA will be promoting FleurEx through the brand new electronic Focal Point Magazine…sent to over 1.500 retail and professional florists as well as our own web-site attracting 40-50,000 visitors per month and other media sources. Since the BFA acquired the Society of Floristry last year the societies annual show and competitions will be embraced within BFA FleurEx…we’re sure this years’ event will be bigger, more prestigious and very well attended! (At FleurEx 2010 we had 25 exhibitors, 3 top designers, 4 competitions, 2 business seminars and over 450 delegates) Come and say hello to some of the FloriGuard Team at this exciting show! To book tickets for this year's event please CLICK HERE
August 2011	GOOD LUCK NEIL! Everyone at FloriGuard and the whole of Bridge Insurance Brokers Limited wish Neil Whittaker of the Design Element Irlam the very best of luck in the Europa Cup 2011 in the Czech Republic. We're sure he'll do the UK proud!
August 2011	Home Cover – You could be missing out on even more savings! FloriGuard, by Bridge Insurance Brokers Limited, offer competitive premiums and market leading cover for retail florist shop owners all over the UK.  Many clients don’t realise that being a retail florist also gives them access to a highly competitive Home Insurance policy also underwritten by RSA and offering wide-ranging cover.  Home Cover offers automatic accidental damage cover with sums insured of £50,000 for contents and £300,000 for buildings all at a low standard excess of £50. In addition the policy provides cover for students’ possessions, business equipment at the home and garden items up to £2,000. Personal possessions cover, valuables and legal expenses are also several options that can be added to tailor your policy.  Anyone who has previously been insured and claim free can obtain up to a 25% discount in addition to the already competitive rates. Plus, Bridge has negotiated a further discounts and interest free direct debit payment!  For a quick quotation call the FloriGuard team on 0845 313 9871 or click here
July 2011	FloriGuard is the only range of insurance policies endorsed by the British Florist Association (BFA). FloriGuard VanGuard offers van insurance for professional florists throughout the UK providing competitive premiums and flexible cover. Mark Ward, BFA President and Anthony Williams of Design Element Irlam, both FloriGuard Clients, discuss van insurance with Jason Wootton the Development Manager of FloriGuard. Below are some of the helpful tips Jason was able to give them. The van insurance market has seen a lot of rate increases over the past twelve months and signs are that it’s not over yet. Unfortunately, claims incurred on this class of insurance have risen considerably over the past couple of years. Having seen premiums at an all time low, Insurers are now having to raise rates in order to cover the cost of these increasing numbers and severity of these claims. Savings on your commercial vehicle insurance can still be made by ensuring that you have the right level of cover for your requirements. Perhaps you don’t have younger drivers and you can insure for Any Driver over 30 or it may only be yourself or just a couple of drivers? By changing the driving restriction on your policy to exclude younger drivers or limiting to specified named drivers the insurer will offer discounts that will be applied to your premiums.  These discounts alone can significantly reduce premiums especially if you are currently on an Any Driver or Any Driver over 25 policy.   You may also consider the amount you will pay in the event of a claim. Often a standard policy will have an excess of anything from £100.00. However, by selecting a voluntary excess that you would pay in addition to this standard excess you may be able to reduce your annual premium.  You should always remember that by selecting a voluntary excess it will affect your contribution in the event of a claim. The security and the location of where you keep the vehicle overnight both contribute towards the annual premium. Remember if you have security devices fitted, find out what they are, who fitted them and let your Broker/Insurer know. Using a Thatcham approved alarm that has been professionally fitted often provides a much needed security discount. Location, location, location, can be key to increasing your discounts and reducing your premium. If you are able to park your vehicle in a garage, drive or locked compound overnight you could benefit from another discount. Finally, ensure all the information on your documents is correct. What might seem like little things like your postcode being wrong by one letter or the make of the vehicle being an Dti instead of a Dt can actually make a lot of difference the premium and the way the policy is considered by the insurer. Pictured are Jason, Mark and Anthony beside the new Design Element delivery van. Also pictured, Jason handing a Cheque for £100 to join the BFA 100 club.
June 2011	New Frequently Asked FloriGuard Questions... “I currently have a van insurance policy and I am worried as I’ve heard other people talking about premium increases…why is this?” The van insurance market has seen a lot of rate increases over the past twelve months and signs are that it’s not over yet. Unfortunately, claims on this class of insurance have risen considerably and premiums were at an all time low. Insurers are now having to raise rates in order to cover the cost of these increasing claim numbers and severity. Savings on your commercial vehicle insurance can still be made by ensuring that you have the right levels of cover. Perhaps you don’t have younger drivers and you can insure for Any Driver over 30 or it may only be yourself or just a couple of drivers? This alone can reduce premiums, especially if you are currently on an Any Driver or Any Driver over 25 policy.   You may also consider the amount you will pay in the event of a claim. Some policies offer significant discounts for increasing your excess which could reduce the annual premium payable. “I’ve been asked for my ERN by my insurer, what is this?” Your ERN or Employers Reference Number is required by the Employers’ Liability Tracing Office (ELTO) and will become a mandatory requirement for all policies incepting or renewing on or after 1st April 2012.  The introduction of this legal requirement is to enable injured employees in the future trace the Employers’ Liability Insurer for the applicable period of time.
May 2011	New FloriGuard Website goes live!
December 2010	Manchester based Bridge Insurance Brokers Limited (Bridge) has been named Independent Regional Broker of the Year at the Insurance Times Awards 2010. The national awards, held last week at Battersea Evolution, London were described by Insurance Times Editor-in-chief, Ellen Bennett, as a celebration of ‘the best the insurance industry has to offer’.   Insurance Times said that Bridge was crowned winner because ‘they showed independent broking at its very best! Bridge is a big part of its local community and works hard to understand its Clients’ needs and to develop service that beats the bigger brokers.’ Roger Potts, Chairman, pictured receiving his award from Chris Evans said ‘we are delighted to win this prestigious industry award.  It is a great achievement for the team that makes Bridge what it is.  Winning the award rounds off another successful year in the growth and development of the company’. Linda Toft, Marketing & PR Manager at Bridge adds ‘we received highly commended status at last year’s awards so to win this year is absolutely fantastic.  We were recently awarded Chartered Status by the Chartered Insurance Institute  and will shortly be marking our 40th year in business so the award win makes it a triple celebration – what a way to end the year!’
November 2010	The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) has awarded the prestigious ‘Chartered Insurance Brokers’ title to Bridge Insurance Brokers Limited, one of the North West’s largest independent corporate insurance brokers. To date, less than 100 firms have achieved Chartered status, indicating that this is a highly exclusive award reserved for the leading firms of the broking industry. Chartered status is only awarded to firms which meet rigorous criteria relating to professionalism and capability. All Chartered Insurance Brokers commit to the CII’s Code of Ethics, reinforcing the highest standards of professional practice in their business dealings. Roger Potts, Chairman, who holds the individual Chartered Insurance Practitioner title, says that securing Chartered Insurance Brokers status is a landmark for his company: “We have always prided ourselves on being thoroughly professional in everything we do, and to receive external recognition in this way is very gratifying. As Chartered Insurance Brokers, we can signal our commitment to the highest levels of service to our Clients.”
June 2010	EUROFLEURS RHS TATTON PARK - The FloriGuard team at Bridge Insurance Brokers Ltd are excited to announce the launch of a special competition for all members of the British Florist Association (BFA). In celebration of the EuroFleurs competition being held at RHS Show Tatton Park from 21st July to 25th July 2010, FloriGuard are giving away 2 pairs of tickets to join the team the Gala Awards Ceremony. Over the next month, every BFA member who purchases a BFA FloriGuard Shop, Home, Freelance or Van insurance policy will be placed into the competition to win a pair of the tickets. The tickets, priced at £95 each, will entitle the recipient to entry to the show ground from 16:00hrs until 22:00hrs, where you have the opportunity to see the show in comfort & style and then on to a champagne reception and silver service buffet. Watch the competitors create their final task of the competition, their surprise item, in front of a live audience. The Liverpool Dance Company will stage a musical theatrical performance depicting some of the West End’s best known musicals with all the dancers decked out in fabulous floral haute couture. The evening will end with the exciting climax to the competition, the Eurofleurs results show. This exciting opportunity is not to be missed and will be a once in a life time evening for the lucky winners.
February 2010	Associations Merge - British Florist Association members and Society of Floristry members voted in favor by a sizeable majority of the proposal for the BFA to acquire the Society , at their respective EGM/AGM's on 3rd and 7th February.    BFA President Mark Ward said, “This is excellent news, not just for members of BFA and Society, but for the industry as a whole. This only serves to strengthen the already strong voice of the BFA. We look forward to the launch of the new Training and Education Committee in April, which will ensure the strength and experience of Society in this important area are utilised”.   Mark added, “We do expect a crossover of those who are currently joint Society and BFA members, and these will be dealt with once we obtain the Society membership list on March 1st”.  From this date, invitation to renew memberships as they expire will come from BFA.    The purchase of Society of Floristry will take place on 1st March 2010, at which time all Society members will automatically become members of BFA and entitled to all current BFA member benefits.  Member benefits include BFA Floriguard insurance with exclusive BFA member discount; Lloyds TSB Cardnet low-rate card processing; BFA Travel Club with free £100 voucher;  BFA Fuel Card saving 2-3p per litre; HR4UK free online HR service worth £120. For full list of current membership benefits please visit the “Membership” section of the BFA website.    Members  can also look forward to receiving a free copy of the BFA Handbook which will be sent to all members, and contains pages of images and information including member benefits, events and competitions.
October 2009	FleurEx 2009- The FloriGuard team will be joining their partners at the British Florist Association at the FleurEx trade show. Why not come over and say hello and pick up some information and goodies! The team are looking forward to meeting existing and prospective policyholders and are on hand for any questions you may have. FleurEx is on 24th & 25th October at the Paragon Hotel, Birmingham. More information can be obtained by clicking here
September 2009	New BFA Website - The British Florist Association have launched an all new website. Improving on their previous site it features membership areas, events details, galleries, an online shop and many more useful resources. Have a look at the site by clicking here
October 2008	FloriGuard Van Cover - Now available commercial vehicle insurance for florist delivery vehicles. Underwritten by Equity Red Star and through Bridge Insurance Brokers Ltd. The policy offers comprehensive cover, flexible benefits and competitive premiums.
June 2008	FloriGuard Website Goes LIVE! - After several months of development the new FloriGuard Website is available to the florist profession. We hope you enjoy using our site and welcome any feedback from our customers by emailing us on info@floriguard.co.uk
February 2008	FloriGuard Freelancers Launched - Following a large number of enquiries from Florists without retail premises, FloriGuard has now launched a policy for Freelance, Event and Wedding Florists, Floral Designers and Flower Arrangers. Underwritten by Groupama Insurance, the policy cover Public Liability as Standard and includes options to increase cover. Call the FloriGuard Team on 0845 313 9871 for more information.
January 2008	FloriGuard Team In Birmingham - The FloriGuard Team exhibited at the Spring Florist Event at the ICC Birmingham. Promoting our new partnership with the British Florist Association, the team and our very own FloriGuard Mascot enjoyed meeting many existing and new clients.
January 2008	BFA FloriGuard Launch - The British Florist Association has joined forces with Bridge insurance Brokers Ltd to provide their existing FloriGuard Insurance policy to its members. The policy is called "BFA FloriGuard Insurance" and is designed specifically for retail florists and features additional cover, lower excess, and a 15% discount for members of the BFA. Jason Wootton, Schemes Development Manager for Bridge said "this alliance will add real value to the membership offering of the BFA and also gives further strength to our successful FloriGuard policy". He continues, "I'm very excited to be working with the only floristry trade association recognised by the government as they share many of the same core values and beliefs that we have at Bridge". "This is a very exciting time for us, and the FloriGuard team are really looking forward to working with our new partners and promoting the benefits of the policy to new customers" Wootton concluded. Mark Ward, President - British Florist Association and Jason Wootton, Schemes Development Manager - Bridge Insurance
January 2008	FloriGuard Changes Insurer - The FloriGuard policy is now underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Plc continuing to provide tailor made cover for retail florists. The move has also seen some enhancements to the cover including a higher public liability limit, increased seasonal stock extensions and lower excesses.
November 2007	FloriGuard Team In Nottingham - The FloriGuard Team will be exhibiting at the Society of Floristry annual show "Three Weddings and a Funeral" at the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham University Campus on Sunday, 25th November 2007.