The final meeting of the year of the West Lothian Construction Forum takes place on Wednesday, 11 December, at the Sibbald Training Centre in Blackridge.

Guest speaker will be Yosof Ewing, who has made it his passion to fight for specialist contractors and make sure they get paid in full and on time.

Known as 'The Contract Coach', he has over 32 years' experience in the industry and launched a coaching business in 2022 to empower subcontractors with the knowledge and confidence to assert their rights.

His unique perspective stems from witnessing his father's business go into liquidation due to non-payment, which motivated him to dedicate his career to helping others avoid similar devastating outcomes.

Forum chairman Jamie Taylor hopes his words of wisdom will help construction business owners as they plan for 2025 and beyond.

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"Yosof's resilience has been shaped by his personal experiences and he has developed an unbreakable determination to protect others from exploitation," he said.

"We are very fortunate to be able to have him along for the forum meeting. His lived experience of hardship fuels his passion for disrupting the status quo in construction law, making contracts more accessible, and guiding subcontractors through negotiations and disputes.

"His goal is to end the unfair practices of larger contractors and create a more equitable environment for specialist contractors. He's going to have a lot of valuable input at the meeting and it's a great way to finish things off for the year."

The Taylor Roofs founder is looking to further grow the forum in the new year and he added: "The forum has been steadily expanding which is great. Business can be a lonely place but people don't have to suffer on their own. The opportunity is there for people to come together and support each other.

"We aim to work together to help as many businesses as we can get on as strong a footing as possible in 2025, while also giving young people opportunities and direction in construction."

The meeting begins at 4.30pm and anyone wishing to attend can email: [email protected].