Selco News

Here at Selco Builders Warehouse, we staged a charity double header to raise more than £13,500 in the space of 48 hours.

Firstly, we hosted our annual golf day, pitting Selco colleagues against suppliers at West Midlands Golf Club.

Just two days later, members of our marketing team put their best foot forward by participating in the Cotswold Way Challenge.

Combined, the events raised £13,700 for our nominated charity, Global’s Make Some Noise, an organisation which improves the lives of disadvantaged people by supporting small charities across the UK.

Carine Jessamine, marketing director of Selco, said: “Due to the restrictions of the last 16 months, our normally busy programme of charity events has been heavily restricted and we have had to take what opportunities we could in terms of fundraising.

“It was brilliant to get back to something approaching normality with the two charity events held in quick succession.

“Global’s Make Some Noise has done outstanding work both before and during the pandemic, supporting those in our communities who are most vulnerable, and it’s fantastic to play our part in supporting their fundraising efforts during what has been an incredibly difficult period for charities.”

A keenly contested golf day saw the suppliers edge out the Selco team in a fourball betterball stableford format, raising £12,000.

The Cotswolds Way Challenge saw around a dozen members of Selco’s marketing team complete the undulating 24km course with an elevation of 630km, with £1,700 raised.

Every vote counts – that’s the message from a dozen charities and community groups from across the UK as they battle to become the winning Selco Star of 2021.

Our flagship Selco Stars community campaign reaches its conclusion this month with the 12 finalists facing a public vote to land the £5,000 first prize.

We received hundreds of entries from groups which benefit the community and our panel of judges selected 12 winners over six months, each receiving an initial £500 worth of building materials.

Now the finalists are hoping to come out on top in a public vote, with the winner at the end of the month claiming the top prize of £5,000. A bonus prize of £1,250 is up for grabs for the organisation which finishes second to mark Selco’s 125th anniversary.

To find out more about the finalists and to cast your vote, please visit our Selco Stars page.

Each individual is allowed to register one vote per day throughout July.

The list of finalists covers many sectors of society, from care homes to youth organisations and homeless charities to a ladies football team.

As has been well-documented, the coronavirus pandemic has heavily affected community groups and charities over the last 12 months so please take a minute to view the excellent work our finalists do and cast a vote for your favourite.

Good luck to all the finalists.

We are delighted to have stepped up our commitment to delivering a sustainable future for the business, our customers and colleagues by planting a new forest.

In what is believed to be the most significant development of its kind in the builders merchant industry, we have directly supported the planting of more than 100,000 trees across 100 acres at a site near Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders to create the Selco Forest.

The trees will offset around 8,000 tonnes of carbon during their lifecycle, the equivalent of almost two years of our customer deliveries, and forms part of a wider package of measures designed to reduce our carbon footprint.

Howard Luft, chief executive of Selco Builders Warehouse, said it is vital we accelerate our sustainability programme as we look to our long-term future.

He said: “We are proud to be a forward-thinking organisation and there is no doubt in my mind that tackling climate change is the next major global challenge we will face.

“Our resilience as a business has been demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, during which we have delivered a response built around protecting our customers and our people, the two mainstays of our business, and we will adopt the same strategy around sustainability.

“The effect our operations have on the environment has been on the agenda for a number of years but we recognise there is more that needs to be done.

“The current priority is to address our carbon emissions. Planting the Selco Forest marks a step change in our actions on this front and we will be planting many hundreds of thousands more trees across the UK in the coming years to extend this project.

“However, work on lowering our carbon footprint doesn’t end there. We have already taken steps towards achieving that, including installing LED lighting and a new gas management system across our entire branch network.

“We are also overhauling our transport fleet by utilising alternative fuel vehicles - including Compressed Natural Gas and fully electric – in our fleet and removing single fuel petrol and diesel cars from our company car list.

“This sustainability journey is a long-term vision and isn’t restricted to the local communities in which we operate but also incorporates the wider Selco family, including manufacturers and suppliers.”

We have joined forces with the landowner and key timber supplier BSW Timber, together with BSW Timber’s subsidiary companies Tilhill and Carbon Store, to make the Selco Forest a reality.

Carine Jessamine, Selco’s marketing director and head of sustainability, added: “The Selco Forest is an important milestone for our sustainability strategy and there will be more announcements on the wider programme in due course.

“What is without doubt is that we are committed to continuing our investment in the future by playing our part in protecting our people, the environment and the planet.”

A Bristol scout group is celebrating after winning materials to repair two storage sheds.

1st Kingswood BP Scouts, based at the Church of the Ascension on Hollyguest Road, scooped £500 worth of building materials as part of our Selco Stars competition.

We’ve awarded 12 good causes across the UK £500 worth of building materials each through the popular Stars scheme.

Next month, 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.

Meg Webster, Cub master at the group, said: “It was brilliant to win these building materials from Selco.

“We have two sheds which we use for storage. The one needs a new roof to make it watertight, while the other requires more shelving.

“This generous donation from Selco means we will be able to address those issues.

“If we are lucky enough to win one of the larger cash prizes from Selco, we would love to develop our outdoor area with new benches, which would be used by the local community as well as ourselves. That would be lovely.”

Carine Jessamine, marketing director at Selco, said: "Like every organisation, scouting has been hit hard by the pandemic as they have barely been able to meet face-to-face for many months.

“It’s great to be able to give this group a boost through Selco Stars. We’re pleased to be making a big difference to communities across the UK and we’re looking forward to the next stage of the competition, where our cash prize winners will be revealed.”

Voting in the Selco Stars final is scheduled to start on July 1. Watch this space!

A fledgling women’s football team in Neath has hit the back of the net by winning funding from Selco.

Coedffranc Ladies FC, in Skewen, scooped £500 worth of building materials as part of our Selco Stars competition.

The team, which is preparing for its first season having launched last year, has used the funding to buy the materials for a large wooden box to store equipment.

We’ve awarded 12 good causes across the UK £500 worth of building materials each through the Selco Stars scheme.

Next month, 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.

Gemma Quirolo, one of the coaches at Coedffranc Ladies FC, said: “We’re a brand new team so we need all the help we can get.

“With this £500 from Selco we were able to utilise some of the skills within our team to build a large storage box for all of our equipment.

“We’ll be going all out to win one of the bigger prizes. If we were to be successful, we could splash out on training equipment and facility hire cost.”

Carine Jessamine, marketing director at Selco, said: "We have been able to support some fantastic groups and clubs through Selco Stars, and Coedffranc Ladies FC is another good example of that.

“They have done well to get a club off the ground during a pandemic so it’s good to be able to give them a helping hand.

“We’re looking forward to the next stage of the competition, where our cash prize winners will be revealed.”

Voting in the Selco Stars final is scheduled to start on July 1.

We’re delighted to reveal we will hit the world sporting stage later this year – after becoming an official partner of Rugby League World Cup 2021.

The tournament, to be held at a host of venues in England, runs throughout October and November.

As one of the UK’s leading builders’ merchants, we have 70 branches across the country and have been serving tradespeople since 1895, coincidently the year Rugby League was formed.

As part of the agreement, we will receive extensive marketing rights for the tournament, including tickets, brand exposure at all matches, digital and social content, an exclusive Selco Builders Warehouse award and player appearances for in-branch events.

Rugby League World Cup 2021 will create history via the Men’s, Women’s and Wheelchair competitions being held simultaneously for the first time at a major sporting event, with some of sport’s most iconic venues including St James’ Park, The Emirates Stadium, Elland Road, The Copper Box and Old Trafford hosting matches.

Carine Jessamine, Marketing Director of Selco, said: “Rugby League World Cup 2021 will capture the imagination of the English sporting public this autumn.

“Any time that a major sporting event comes to this country, sports fans will get behind it and this will be no different.

“It’s a fantastic partnership to be involved in and there will be exciting benefits and opportunities for customers, colleagues and suppliers.

“We have had experience with Rugby League before, through partnerships of London Broncos, Leeds Rhinos and Warrington Wolves, so we know it’s an excellent avenue for us to reach our core trade customer base.”

Jonathan Neill, Commercial Director at RLWC2021, said: “We believe there is a fantastic partnership opportunity for Selco Builders Warehouse and Rugby League World Cup 2021. Core Rugby League fans have a strong background in the builders and repair and maintenance sector - for example, 10% of RLWC2021 fans are skilled manual workers.

“With the tournament transcending the sport, and every minute of every match live on the BBC in the UK, this also increases the audience engagement significantly. Via sponsorship activation, this presents Selco Builders Warehouse with an exciting opportunity to meet their brand and business objectives with the tournament. It’s superb news to welcome another new brand and values led organisation to Rugby League World Cup 2021.”

Children at a special academy in Birmingham are getting excited to explore the outdoors following a donation from Selco.

Wilson Stuart School in Perry Common, Erdington, is constructing wheelchair friendly routes in a school project that takes the classroom outside.

The school caters for 229 pupils that have additional needs including sensory impairment, learning and communication difficulties or complex medical conditions.

The scheme was handed a timely boost by winning £500 worth of building materials from Selco through our highly successful Selco Stars competition.

We have awarded £500 worth of building materials to 12 good causes across the UK. 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.

Simon Harris, executive headteacher, said: “We’re going to use the £500 from Selco to create a wheelchair access point for the forest.

“This will create pathways where the students can engage in all different aspects of nature and the excitement of just getting away from their normal environment.

“If we were successful in getting the further amount of money, either the £1,250 or £5,000 from Selco, it would make a massive difference.

“It would allow us to put those resources in to the forest and create a curriculum that’s not just special but pretty amazing.

“We’re always talking about our students being children who are special because of their special needs, but actually they’re special children because they’re amazing kids who we just want to give the greatest opportunity to.

“We’d love for you to vote for us to give us some additional money to make this project really work.”

Carine Jessamine, marketing director at Selco, said: "Wilson Stuart School have outstanding purpose-built facilities but this donation will go towards giving their pupils an even better experience.

“The project is a fantastic initiative and it gives us great pleasure to help make it accessible for everyone.”

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

A community garden project in Nottingham is springing into full bloom thanks to a helping hand from Selco Builders Warehouse.

A garden space at Heathfield Community Centre on Ventnor Rise is undergoing a dramatic transformation to provide an attraction for local residents.

The ‘Secret Garden’ project is being led by the Pythian Club, an organisation which is based at the community centre and which aims to improve the lives of young people through education, sports, arts and music initiatives.

Local residents are also being encouraged to get involved while our Nottingham branch, which is based on Radford Road in Basford, has donated a selection of tools and materials.

Kirsty Dexter, the Hub Assistant Manager at the Pythian Club, said: “With restrictions lifting, we wanted to embark on a project to engage both our youngsters at The Pythian Club and the wider community.

“We had a garden area which had become overgrown and we wanted to create a facility which could be used for educational needs with schools and the wider community.

“We are initially working on a 12-week programme which will include construction, planting, pruning, scrub clearance and general site maintenance and the plan beyond that will be to continue to make the Secret Garden a facility everyone can be proud of.

“The team at Selco Nottingham have been absolutely brilliant, donating no end of products and materials to help us make our vision a reality. We would have really struggled to get the project off the ground so quickly without Selco’s support.”

A range of garden tools have been donated by Selco, including spades and shears, as well as topsoil and PPE and a first aid kit.

Adam Newbold, Trade Sales Manager at Selco Nottingham, said: “When we were approached to provide support, we were only too happy to do so.

“The garden has fantastic potential not only for people who use the Heathfield Community Centre, including the Pythian Club, but also the wider community.

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

It’s official – Selco Builders Warehouse is the No 1 builders’ merchant in the UK.

We were thrilled to win the Builders’ Merchant of the Year Award (51+branches) at the recent Builders’ Merchants Awards.

The announcement was made at a virtual ceremony hosted by television and radio personality Colin Murray.

Our COVID-19 policy – which included closing business operations for six weeks last March and reopening in a gradual, safe and sustainable manner – was highlighted as one of the key reasons for the success.

The judges were also impressed by our investment in modifying the website, colleagues and e-commerce methods such as Click & Collect and Click & Deliver, which allowed tradespeople to continue securing products and materials to carry out essential repairs and maintenance at the peak of the pandemic.

Chief executive Howard Luft has dedicated the award to all 3,000 colleagues throughout the business.

He said: “We are incredibly proud to have won this award and it’s testimony to the hard and outstanding work of everyone at Selco.

“The pandemic has made it an incredibly testing last year but it’s been extremely rewarding to see how the whole team has come together to provide a safe environment for our customers and colleagues and achieve excellent results.

“We will continue improving the business and our offering to tradespeople across the UK.”

Amongst other achievements over the last 18 months which caught the eye of the judges were the opening of four new branches, the relocation of two stores and a major refurbishment programme of older branches.

Other initiatives have included the introduction of a Lightside Distribution Centre and Delivery Hub to help further enhance the customer experience, Selco being named a Superbrand and significant investments in staff development and training.

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.