Mr Soot is supporting a new venture aimed at ensuring a sustainable future for fireplace owners, the solid fuel industry and our planet.

Company founder David and Mr Soot Training Centre director Sam attended the inaugural Cleaner Safer Group (CSG) conference in Swindon this week.

CSG, which oversees leading industry names such as HETAS and Woodsure, has been set up with the purpose of working together with industry leaders for a cleaner, safer, more sustainable environment.

A wide range of discussions took place at the event, including new technologies, educating fireplace owners and upskilling solid fuel professionals.

Mr Soot owner David welcomed the initiative: “We were delighted to be invited to the CSG’s first conference, and it was great to be able to discuss so many important issues.

”We met with chimney sweeps, local authority representatives, industry manufacturers and HETAS leaders, and it was encouraging to hear their thoughts on future opportunities.”

During the conference, David called on the industry to work together put a robust communications framework in place in a bid to balance some of the skewed and inaccurate media coverage around woodburners.

”Some of the attempts I’ve seen by others in the industry at ‘fighting back’ against this slew of criticism have been, to put it politely, ineffective at best, and positively damaging at worst.

”Wood is a renewable energy source, and offers so many additional benefits to communities, such as health, exercise and sustainably managed woodlands.

”It’s time to focus on the opportunities available to our industry and stop allowing others to set the narrative. We have a great story to tell – we need to ALL go out and tell it.”

Mr Soot Training Centre director Sam added that there were opportunities to widen awareness among stakeholders.

”As a HETAS approved centre in the North West, we are ideally placed to help educate on what they can do to burn in an environmentally-responsible way.

“Our training courses already cover this and, as co-founders of the Burnright campaign, Mr Soot has a fantastic track record in helping instigate effective consumer campaigns.

“We stand ready to assist further and ensure that not only our industry has a bright future, but also that fireplace owners can continue to use their appliances in a safe and comfortable way.”