Selco News

Children at a primary school in Bradford are looking forward to exciting lessons in their new outdoor classroom - thanks to Selco.

The Academy at St James, in Allerton, is in the process of building the wooden classroom within its grounds.

The project, led by volunteer and parent Chris Wardman, was handed a boost after the school won £500 worth of building materials through our Selco Stars competition.

We’ve awarded 12 good causes across the UK £500 worth of building materials each. Later this year, the dozen finalists will go forward for a public vote for the chance to win £5,000 cash.

A second prize of £1,250 is also available to mark Selco’s 125th anniversary.

Chris Tolson, headteacher at the school, said: “We were thrilled to win the materials from Selco, it’s a huge boost.

“We are big on Forest School and we’re keen to build on our offering. This outdoor classroom will help us to deliver exciting and engaging lessons for our pupils for years to come, giving them the opportunities that they deserve.

“The £500 has helped us to buy the decking and the roofing.

“It’s exciting to be in the Selco Stars final. To win £5,000 or £1,250 would make such a difference and would allow us to work on the areas around the new building to make it even better.”

Carine Jessamine, marketing director at Selco, said: "The Academy at St James is clearly a fantastic school with a firm focus on its children.

“We’re delighted to play a part in bringing their outdoor classroom to reality. It’s another great example of how Selco Stars is making a big difference to communities across the UK.”

Voting in the Selco Stars final is scheduled to start in the summer.

We’ve given a helping hand to an urban farm in Birmingham designed to bring the local community closer to nature.

Our Wolverhampton and Dudley branches have donated a range of building materials to Woodgate Urban Farm, based in Bartley Green, after being approached by customer David Cox, of Facilica Building Services.

The materials have been used to create a concrete path at the entrance to the farm to improve access for wheelchair users or less able visitors in particular.

Woodgate Valley is one of 59 urban farms in the UK and is a community managed project designed to raise awareness of farming and gardening.

Animals on the farm include sheep, pygmy goats, ducks, geese and rabbits.

Michael Gee, a trustee and project and development manager at the farm, said: “The farm is a key part of the community and is well supported by local residents and families.

“We were aware that the entrance needed revamping and we are extremely grateful to Selco for donating the materials and Facilica Building Services for carrying out the work. It has made a huge difference.

“We are run entirely by volunteers so donations and offers of work such as we have received here are invaluable.

“We have just reopened after lockdown and having a new entrance is the perfect boost.”

Selco donated materials including cement, ballast and reinforcement bars.

Paul Stokes, branch manager of Selco Wolverhampton, said: “When we were approached by David to provide support for Woodgate Urban Farm, we had no hesitation in saying yes.

“It’s a facility which plays an important part in the local community and we are delighted to lend our support as it looks to build on the reopening after lockdown.

“Our ethos at Selco is to support the local communities in which we operate and this is a brilliant scheme to be involved in.”

We’ve officially opened our new branch in Liverpool – and brought with it a £3,000 boost to the local community.

As part of our ongoing expansion around the UK, we have cut the ribbon on our 70th branch on Mersey Reach Park, Galgate Drive in Bootle.

To mark the opening, we made a £1,000 donation to Down Syndrome Liverpool as part of its Selco Stars campaign, as well as pledging a further £2,000 to nominated charity Global’s Make Some Noise.

Lee Connor, branch manager at Selco Liverpool, said: “It’s fantastic to be able to open our first branch in Liverpool and strengthen our presence in the north west to further help serve tradespeople of the local area.

“Supporting charities and community groups in the local areas in which we operate is an integral part of the Selco ethos so we are delighted to mark the opening of our new branch with a £3,000 donation. We hope the funding will make a real difference to very worthy causes.”

Down Syndrome Liverpool, one of more than 40 charities or community groups which applied to receive £1,000 donated by Selco, is a parent-led charity that supports families and carers to ensure that people with Down Syndrome are given every opportunity to reach their potential socially, emotionally and academically.

Anne Wilde, a founder trustee of the charity, said: “We have been running since 2003 and our main aim is to provide as much help, advice and support to our members from around Liverpool and the surrounding areas.

“We now have around 400 families we support and we do everything from stage social events – when restrictions allow – organise regular parent and toddler groups and support the training and development of professionals who work with people with Down Syndrome.

“The donation from Selco is a fantastic boost and it will go towards supporting our Christmas party. While that may seem a long way in the future, it is a major event for us and takes a lot of organising and finance. We are hugely grateful to Selco.”

We also made a £2,000 donation to charity partner Global’s Make Some Noise, which helps small projects that support disadvantaged people across the UK.

Amongst the Liverpool-based charities Global’s Make Some Noise gives its backing to is Sefton’s Women’s and Children’s Aid (SWACA) which supports women, young people and children who are experiencing - or have experienced - domestic violence or abuse.

SWACA aims to support these families and enable them to live safely and free from the fear of domestic abuse, whilst remaining in their own home. It offers programmes to women and young people that help restore self-esteem, build confidence levels and ultimately support victims in moving forward to develop a future life that is not defined by their experience of domestic abuse.

Stars of the Premier League Darts will be seeking to channel the spirit of Captain Sir Tom Moore to raise funds for charity this week – thanks to Selco Builders Warehouse.

As an official partner of the Professional Darts Corporation, we will donate £100 to charity every time a player throws a three-dart match average of over 100 in the second batch of Premier League fixtures played from tonight until Thursday.

The charity initiative has been designed to coincide with Captain Tom 100, a nationwide fundraising push held at the end of April to mark what would have been the 101st birthday of the late Captain Sir Tom Moore, who raised more than £33 million for NHS charities by walking laps of his garden at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

All proceeds from the campaign will be donated to Global's Make Some Noise, our nominated charity, which improves the lives of disadvantaged people by working with small charities across the UK.

Carine Jessamine, Selco marketing director, said: "The story of Captain Sir Tom Moore captured the hearts of the whole nation last year and it's a fantastic idea by his family to encourage people to raise money for charities of their choice.

"Through our partnership with the PDC, we are delighted to back the best darts players in the world to show off their skills and raise funds for a fantastic charity in Global's Make Some Noise at the same time.

"Hopefully they will draw inspiration from Captain Sir Tom's incredible efforts last year and produce some magic on the stage to raise as much money as possible for charity.

"This is the last major darts tournament before the official Captain Tom 100 weekend so hopefully we can get the fundraising off to a flying start."

Five Premier League matches involving the world's leading darts players will be played on four straight nights starting tonight, in an event which is being held behind closed doors at Milton Keynes.

The field includes multiple World Champions including Michael van Gerwen, Peter Wright and Gary Anderson, as well as reigning Premier League champion Glen Durrant.

A total of 13 ton-plus averages were achieved in the opening nine nights of the tournament earlier in April, with the highest being Jose de Sousa's 108.48 against Jonny Clayton.

Game on! We are thrilled to announce we will be staying on the oche and firmly in the sporting spotlight after extending our sponsorship of big-time darts.

We will remain an official partner of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) until the end of 2023.

We first teamed up with the PDC in July 2019 and have enjoyed 18 months of outstanding exposure, despite the lack of crowds at tournaments over the last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

With crowds due to return to sporting venues later this year under the government’s current roadmap, we are preparing to once again ramp up our activity.

Carine Jessamine, marketing director, said: “Our partnership with the PDC has already provided us with so many opportunities and darts continues to ride the crest of a wave when it comes to popularity.

“From having some of the world’s best players – including world champion and world No 1 Gerwyn Price – playing darts against our customers in branches, to seeing the Selco name in bright lights at major televised events, to having the chance to have a presence at the biggest tournaments, there have been no end of benefits.

“Our customers and colleagues have also enjoyed the chance to benefit from a night out at the darts on Selco and thrive on the special atmosphere it creates.

“It goes without saying that there have been virtually no tournaments with crowds over the last 12 months but we have continued to work alongside the PDC to make the most of the sponsorship.

“We are excited at the prospect of fans returning to venues over the coming months and the chance to re-start our ticket promotions and games at events. It’s a perfect fit for us and our customer base.”

Throughout the sponsorship so far, we have also devised challenges for the leading players, resulting in thousands of pounds being raised for our nominated charity, Global’s Make Some Noise, while our specially designed darts shirts have also become much sought-after prizes for fans of the sport.

As part of the sponsorship extension, we will continue to enjoy branding rights at many PDC televised tournaments, as well as an allocation of tickets and player appearances.

PDC chief executive Matt Porter said: “Selco has been a fantastic partner over the last couple of years and we are delighted to agree an extension.

“Our most successful partners are those who go the extra mile to actively engage with the sport and the fans and Selco are certainly very high up the list when it comes to that.

“The darts has been great for Selco and Selco has been great for the darts so we look forward to that winning formula continuing.”

An MP and a prominent local councillor have visited our soon-to-be-opened Liverpool branch to learn more about regeneration and job creation in the city.

Peter Dowd, Member of Parliament for Bootle, and Councillor Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, were welcomed to our branch, based on Mersey Reach Park.

It is due to open on Monday, April 12 and will create at least 30 jobs in the local area.

The politicians were keen to visit the new Mersey Reach Park, which promises to breathe fresh life into the former home of the Peerless Edible Oils factory on Galgate Drive in Bootle.

The site is made up of six industrial units, a filing station and a drive-thru coffee shop, with plans for further units in the pipeline.

We will occupy a 36,000 sq ft unit which will represent our 70th UK branch.

Mr Dowd said: “I was pleased to look around the new Selco branch and see how it will operate.

“I also managed to have a chat with a number of the staff who have been working in the warehouse since January in preparation for its opening in April. It was great to hear that most of the staff live within a short distance of the new warehouse, which is good for local employment opportunities.”

Councillor Atkinson said: “It was a pleasure visiting Mersey Reach Park, especially seeing the end result of many years of planning and hard work with partners and Sefton Council.

“Meeting the representatives of Selco and hearing them speak with such passion and determination, gave a real sense of confidence about the recovery journey ahead here in Sefton.”

Once complete, the Mersey Reach Logistics Park will create up to 350 jobs and is estimated to have a £5.5m positive impact on the area.

The Liverpool opening strengthens our presence in the north west and sits alongside our four branches in Manchester and one in Warrington.

Howard Luft, CEO of Selco, said: “It was a privilege to welcome our two guests to what will soon be our 70th branch.

“We have been hard at work and we are now very close to cutting the ribbon and welcoming tradespeople to branch to help them with the materials and products they need for their day-to-day jobs.

“Mersey Reach as a whole is a fantastic project creating hundreds of jobs and opportunities for people in the local area, which is needed now more than ever.”

Mersey Reach Park was recently acquired by Northwood Investors.

A charity which supports children with cerebral palsy across the north west of England and Wales has received a selection of Easter treats from our new Liverpool branch.

The youngsters who benefit from the services of Stick ‘n’ Step took delivery of the Easter eggs.

More than 100 youngsters and young adults attend Stick ‘n’ Step’s classes on a weekly basis at its specialist centres in Wallasey and Runcorn.

Stick ‘n’ Step provides sessions to help youngsters with cerebral palsy fulfil their potential including exercises, mobility tasks and daily living activities to develop functional skills.

Mark Lewis, administrator at Stick ‘n’ Step Runcorn, said: “We would like to thank the Liverpool branch of Selco Builders Warehouse for its generous donation, which will be gratefully received by our youngsters.

“We work tirelessly to help children with cerebral palsy to fulfil their potential in terms of mobility, confidence and independence.

“Each child and young person that attends has an individual development plan and objectives best suited to their needs.”

We will open our 70th UK branch on Mersey Reach Park in Galgate Drive in Bootle, creating around 30 jobs in Liverpool.

Branch manager Lee Connor said: “When we open a new branch, we always like to support the local communities in which we will be operating.

“One of the ways we have achieved that in Liverpool is to donate Easter eggs to Stick ‘n’ Step which does fantastic work for young people with cerebral palsy all across the north west.

“Stick ‘n’ Step is one of the many organisations supported by our charity partner Global’s Make Some Noise so it was a perfect match for us.

“Deliveries are a major part of our business and there was no better cause for the first official drop off from the new branch than this.”

Fancy winning some special Chocolate goodies this Easter?

We’re delighted to launch to The Great Selco Easter Egg Hunt 2021.

Like many of the best events at the moment, it’s a virtual hunt. We’ve hidden 40 Easter eggs around our website. All you’ve got to do is find them – and comment on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with a link to the page.

The first person to post the link – as judged by our team – will win that chocolate sensation.

We’ve got 40 Crème Egg Corgi Car or a Cadbury Dairy Milk Easter Cottage Kit to give away to the first eagle-eyed fans – so get hunting!

Phew – nearly a whole Easter article without the egg-cruciating puns!

Selco Builders Warehouse has stepped in to help transform the Solihull home of a dad-of-four left paralysed after a fall.

Our Solihull branch has donated thousands of pounds worth of materials to help Rob Lamb, whose life was turned upside down when he suffered a severe spinal cord injury after fainting due to low blood pressure in October.

The fall left the 58-year-old quantity surveyor paralysed from the chest down and requiring significant adaptations to his property in order to return home.

Construction charity Band of Builders mobilised a team of 60 volunteers to carry out the work – and we were keen to get involved by gifting £2,000 worth of timber, plasterboard and other materials.

Mike Grendon, manager of our Solihull branch on Ashbourne Way, said: “It’s a privilege to be able to help Rob. He’s obviously had a terrible few months, not only with the injury but also wondering how he could remain in his home.

“We heard how Band of Builders and their brilliant volunteers were helping make the property as comfortable as possible for Rob and wanted to do everything we could to play our part.

“We know this work has removed a lot of stress for Rob and his family.”

Rob has been recovering at a rehabilitation centre in Oswestry but can now return home safely.

The works included the creation of a downstairs bedroom and wet room, complete with specialist equipment for his condition.

Band of Builders is a registered charity that helps members of the UK construction industry battling illness or injury through the completion of practical projects.

Volunteers give up their time for free to work on projects, while materials are donated by companies across the construction industry.

Craig Cashmore, Band of Builders volunteer and joint project lead for Rob’s scheme, said: “This is probably one of the biggest jobs Band of Builders has undertaken to date.

“It’s so important that the home he comes back to isn’t just safe, but is somewhere he can live comfortably and happily and the changes will definitely make that happen.

“Support from companies like Selco, both locally and at a national level, is absolutely invaluable to the work we do at Band of Builders. By providing materials and helping raise awareness of the charity, they help us to help even more members of the construction industry.”

Rob, who was widowed when wife Julie died suddenly in 2017, lives with sons Callum, Gavin and West Bromwich Albion youth player Mackenzie, while older daughter Tara lives in America.

Gavin said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the support we’ve received and still can’t quite believe this is all happening. When dad first got injured, we knew we’d need to make huge changes to the house for him to come home, so we started fundraising for those and for the care that he’ll need. Then Band of Builders stepped in and it’s taken a huge weight off.

“Not only does it mean the money we raised can focus on dad’s care, but it means we’ve got experts making sure everything is done right so the house is as safe and comfortable for dad as possible.”

We’re delighted to have committed to a £5 million branch refurbishment programme in 2021 as part of our ambitious development plans.

We will carry out work to modernise 18 of our longest-standing branches throughout this year.

Three of the branches – Catford, Ruislip and Barking – will undergo major improvements to customer and colleague facing areas, while a further 15 stores will benefit from smaller refits.

The changes that will be made during the branch refurbishments include the introduction of updated checkouts and power tool displays, improvements to the sales floor and updates to internal and external signage.

This £5 million investment is in addition to the opening of three new branches, the first of which will be in Liverpool in April.

Howard Luft, CEO, said: “As well as maintaining our branch expansion programme, we are fully committed to ensuring that our existing branches undergo constant improvements.

“We want to ensure all our branches are as convenient and reliable for our customers to use as possible and achieve the modern standards tradespeople associate with Selco outlets.

“We are also fully committed to a programme of sustainability and, as part of that, the branch refurbishments will see initiatives including the installation of full LED lighting and an energy management system.”

The branches undergoing refits in 2021 are Tyburn, Ardwick, Enfield, Charlton, Southall, Leeds Elland Road, Baguley, Ashton, Sutton, Sidcup, Romford, Tottenham, Nottingham, Perry Barr and Dudley.