10 Years of AIM

AIM was officially launched at the Movers & Storers Show in 2013. At launch, it was called the Alliance of Independent Movers, but changed its name 4 years later to the Association of Independent Movers. This was the intention from the start, but to call yourself an Association, there are some legal requirements, and it took time to get everything in place.

AIM, which has always been owned and run entirely by movers was formed with the objectives.

1. To promote the removals industry, to the public.
2. To promote friendly dealings and confidence between members of the Association.
3. To promote improvements to the public perception of the industry.
4. To assist Association members in expanding their businesses by offering advice and support.
5. To advertise members to the public, via web sites and social media.
6. To promote the adoption of equitable contracts and other documents used in the industry.
7. To improve the technical and general knowledge of the members, with a view to increasing the standard of the services they provide.
8. To communicate with our members to assess their goals and promote changes to common industry practices to help them achieve those goals.
9. To promote the adoption of recognised standards (BSEN and ISO) and help members achieve them.
10. To be the first Trade Association to adopt a hierarchy of levels based on company size, as well as recognised standards and accreditations.

Now, in 2023, AIM is one of only two not-for-profit Trade Associations specifically for the removals industry in the UK, (the other is the British Association of Removers, which has been around for over a hundred years) but there are many groups, clubs, trade bodies, etc that operate on a for-profit basis, which means they have a financial interest in keeping their entry standards low and there is no incentive to spend the membership fees on member benefits.

AIM has a list of criteria that applicants must meet to become members. All members must work to a Code of Practice and are automatically enrolled in an Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme, provided by the Furniture and Home Improvement Ombudsman (FHIO).

We will continue to encourage a high level of professionalism and service standards from our members in the hope that, over time, the public will recognise that removals is more than just manual labour and transport. It is a trade that requires expertise, specific knowledge and skills that are not found elsewhere.