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Video: Chimney sweeps go
back to school

by Jess Banham

Chimney sweeps are hoping to make a stack after a new school
opened in Maidstone.

The course - set to attract would-be sweeps from around the UK -
aims to teach the basics of sprucing up the family hearth.

It has been set up by The Institute of Chimney Sweeps (ICS), and
offers a range of two-day courses.

Daniel Kemp, Chairman of ICS, said: “It’s very practical, you’re
learning about the different kinds of flues and fires and on the
second day you’re learning how to actually sweep the chimneys, the
different tools involved and the different problems you could come
up against.”

At the moment, there are around 500 trained chimney sweeps in
the ICS, but there are calls for more to join their books.

Stephen Inge, Co-Founder of ICS said: “Back in the Victorian
times, there were chimney sweeps everywhere but as electrics came
in and then gas, sweeping went out of it really, but now with
everyone becoming more environmentally friendly, it’s coming back
again.”

Figures from the Office for National Statistics last month
showed 35,963 people claimed Jobseekers Allowance across Kent and
Medway, with 18 to 24 year olds accounting for almost a third of
all unemployment in our county.

At

New training centre for
chimney sweeps is officially opened by KFRS chief executive Ann
Millington (left)

Mr Inge added: “It is a very good starting point in the fire
industry.

"There are so many other avenues you can go into afterwards.

"We get a lot of armed forces who’ve left and don’t know what to
do – the outlay is very low and you’re guaranteed work
basically.”

Over the past three years, Kent firefighters have attended 824
chimney fires.

"According to Chief Executive Anne Millington, many of them
could have been avoided if the flue had been swept properly.

She added: “You should have a chimney sweep come and work with
you every single year to make sure the chimney is being
cleaned.

"But also every now and again you need to make sure the
fundamental structure of the chimney is still sound so the flues
are still safe, there’s no damage to it and there are no
nests.”