British Franchise Association appoints new deputy chair

With the UK’s franchise sector continuing to grow to in excess of £15bn, the British Franchise Association (bfa) has announced that it has appointed a new deputy chair to give the franchise industry’s profile an added boost.

Following a unanimous vote by the board of directors, Trevor Brocklebank; co-founder and chief executive of Home Instead Senior Care, has been appointed the role.

Brocklebank, who has sat on the bfa board of directors since 2012, launched domestic care chain Home Instead in 2005 and it offers tailored visits and home services to vulnerable elderly people.

The care provider has gone to achieve a number of awards over the years including the Queen’s Award for Innovation, named one of the Best Small Companies to Work For by the Sunday Times, and it was granted the accolade of the bfa’s Franchisor of the Year in 2013.

Established in 1977, the bfa – headed up by CEO Pip Wilkins – is the self-regulatory body for franchising and it accredits franchise businesses and professional advisers in the sector according to strict ethical and business criteria.

On his appointment as deputy chair, Brocklebank said:

“Franchising is a growing sector in the UK, providing great options for people of all ages and backgrounds to set up and run their own businesses with brand partners who provide proven business models.

“The bfa works extremely hard to promote ethical franchising practice in the UK and I’m honoured to be part of the team.”