February 2025 update

Doing our bit for ESG

This month the Association of British Insurers (ABI) issued some record-breaking statistics for 2024 (more details below). Extreme weather events, driven by climate change, are having a significant impact on our industry and we all need to do our bit to ensure things don’t get too much worse.

That’s one of the reasons we have been focussing on our ESG credentials. From our newly launched One World Accreditation for our supply chains, to our ESG report and membership of the SME Climate Hub, we are trying to make a difference.

We have recently reviewed and updated our information on Hellios (the supplier pre-qualification system for insurers). We are delighted that MA Assist and Revival are ranked very highly compared to other suppliers.

MA Assist and Revival have overall average scores in the high 70s, but their environmental scores are particularly impressive:

MA Assist – 79.66 v an average for all suppliers of 32.61
Revival – 90.42 v an average for all suppliers of 35.77.

2024 was record breaking

This month the ABI issued some record-breaking statistics for 2024:

• Insurers paid out a record £585 million for weather-related damage to people’s homes and possessions in 2024.
• The record claims come following significant and consistent bad weather, including 12 named storms in the 2023/2024 storm season – the most named storms since 2015/2016.
• Claims for damage to homes from windstorms, flooding and frozen pipes in 2024 surpassed the previous 2022 record for the same claim types by £77 million. The figure is also £127 million (28%) higher than the weather-related claims payouts for 2023.
• Total property claims in the fourth quarter of 2024 were £1.6 billion and took the annual claims total to £5.7 billion – the largest amount paid out in any year on record.
• For the final quarter of the year, claims for damage to homes from adverse weather reached £146 million – making it the seventh consecutive quarter that weather-related claims have been above £100 million. The quarterly claims figure is also £17 million more compared to claims paid for the same type of damage in Q4 2023.

Such extreme weather events, driven by climate change, are having a significant impact on our industry. And 2025 isn’t looking much better – the 2024/25 winter period is on track to be the most active storm season since the Met Office started naming them, and we have seen significant flooding and a freezing event already.

Adverse weather conditions are a true test of any supply chain. At MA Group we integrate three supply chains that deal with different stages of a property claim – Virtus Validations for surveying and validation, Revival for fire and flood restoration and MA Assist for property reinstatement. So we can provide a robust integrated approach, with flexible resources that can comfortably deal with surge events. To find out more about our surge strategy CLICK HERE.

One World Certification

We are excited to announce the launch of our One World Certification badge, a new accreditation for our supply chains that embodies our commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles. This initiative aligns with MA Group’s dedication to sustainable practices and empowers our supply chain partners to demonstrate their own commitments to this vision.

By implementing the One World Certification scheme, MA Group and its suppliers are collectively demonstrating a commitment to responsible business practices, enhanced transparency, and a sustainable future for all. Together, we are fulfilling our ESG objectives set out in MA Group ’s ESG report; we are leading the way towards a more ethical and environmentally conscious industry.

The badge can be displayed on supplier’s websites and other materials to demonstrate their commitment to ESG.

We have established a standard set of criteria for all suppliers, which we are asking them to adopt. For suppliers who do not currently meet these standards, MA Group will provide support to help them comply. Suppliers who meet the criteria will earn the “MAG – One World Certified” badge:

The Standards:

Social
Community Support – Does your company support the local community? What charities do you support and how?
Whistleblowing – Do you have a whistleblowing policy?
Diversity and Inclusion – Do you have a diversity and inclusion policy?
Health and Safety – Do you have a health and safety Policy
Modern Slavery – Do you have a modern slavery Policy?

Environmental
Fleet Management – Do you have EVs and have a plan to increase your EV fleet? Is your entire current fleet ULEZ Compliant?
Business Emissions – Do you publish your Scope 1 and Scope 2 and Scope 3 (business travel only) emissions data and have targets for reducing emissions?
Environmental Management – Do you have an environmental management policy?
Waste Management – Do you have a waste management policy?

Governance
Anti-Bribery – Do you have an anti-bribery policy?
Anti-Money Laundering – Do you have an anti-money laundering policy?
Vulnerable Customers – Do you have a vulnerable customers policy?

Any suppliers who would like to find out more about this new initiative should contact our Supply Chain Director, Marc Etchells. Any clients who would like to know more should get in touch with Haley Elsden or their account manager.

SME Climate Hub

To further advance our commitment to ESG we are delighted to announce that MA Group has signed up to the SME Climate Hub.

The SME Climate Hub is an initiative of the We Mean Business Coalition, the global non-profit promoting business and policy action to halve global emissions by 2030. The initiative was co-founded and is operated in partnership with the Exponential Roadmap Initiative and the UN Climate Change High Level Champion’s Race to Zero campaign.

The SME Climate Hub aims to mainstream climate action for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), or companies with under 500 employees, and enable them to build resilient businesses for the future. Launched in 2020, the SME Climate Commitment is the official pathway for small and medium-sized businesses to join the global Race to Zero campaign.

As members of the Hub, we’re furthering our commitment towards becoming more climate-focused and to halve emissions by 2030.

This supplements our existing ESG ambitions for 2025 and beyond – learn more about how the SME Climate Hub will help us build resiliency on our ESG journey at smeclimatehub.org/about-us.

TLC case study

This month we published our latest case study which focusses on a Technical, Large and Complex commercial fire claim. In October 2024 a fire broke out in the basement of Connells’ offices. The fire was believed to have originated from a dehumidifier that was active in the basement area.

The MA Group TLC team, Revival Colchester and Trubuild jumped into action with speed and coordination, and overcame complexities to mitigate losses for the client.

Connells “were very happy that the works were done in a timely and professional manner, allowing us to trade weeks ahead of schedule”.

The loss adjuster said: “Revival mitigated our client’s loss immediately and set the tone of getting repairs done as soon as practicable….Clear benefit that the.. works were undertaken by Revival and .. then by MA Assist…bypassed any complications regarding responsibilities …a simplified communication chain.

You can read the whole case study on our website by CLICKING HERE.

MA Group Charity Golf Day and Dinner

The annual MA Group Charity Golf Day & Dinner returns for 2025.

Join us at The Oxfordshire Golf, Hotel and Spa on the 12th June for a great day of golf followed by a fantastic evening of delicious food and entertainment – not to mention our famous auction!

Once again we’re fundraising for our chosen charity – Oxford Young Adult Clinic – a vital  community-based service that supported our CEO @Paul Hayman – FCIOB, and his daughter Laura, to whom Paul donated his kidney in 2017.

Last year we raised £11,000 – so to all our suppliers and wider network, let’s make this year even better.

To sign up or learn more, please email Sally-Ann Johnson.

MA Group MAD Awards

Our January winner was Kris Lee, who is a Claims Technician for Virtus Validations.

Kris acted quickly to resolve an issue following an incomplete cash settlement being issued to a vulnerable customer who had suffered a traumatic claim. Kris took ownership of the claim, obtained full settlement details and, with clear communication and pro-active calls to insurers, resolved the issue in less than one hour! Kris demonstrated fantastic customer care and service. Well done Kris, you are MAD!