Selco News

A Newport charity that provides exciting experiences for seriously ill children and their families will have the chance to enhance its garden area after winning materials in our Community Heroes competition.

Dreams and Wishes Charity was named as a monthly regional champion in the campaign, winning £1,000 to spend in store with us.

Multi award-winning organisation Dreams and Wishes Charity supports seriously ill children and their families by providing unforgettable experiences. The charity has a celebration of life garden near the children’s hospital in Cardiff and will use the building materials to make it a perfect place for families to enjoy.

Kelly Reardon, a member of the Dreams and Wishes Charity Executive Board, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be a Selco Community Hero.

"We are dedicated to putting smiles on faces by making dreams and wishes come true for seriously ill children and their families.

“Since 2011 we have granted over 2,000 wishes, which can be anything from purchasing laptops to organising meet and greets with the child's favourite celebrity. Our belief is every child deserves to smile and have joyful moments.

"Our celebration of life garden is a quiet place for families to reflect - and it needs a bit of work. These materials from Selco will make a tremendous difference."

Dreams and Wishes Charity will visit Selco Cardiff Llanishen on Parc Ty Glas to select its products.

This year the Community Heroes prize pot stands at £57,500, including 40 individual prizes of £1,000 to spend in store.

There will also be an overall top prize of £10,000 in cash, as well as £5,000 for second place and £2,500 for third.

Simon Humpage, Head of Multi-Channel Marketing at Selco, said: “Dreams and Wishes Charity provides an amazing service for children and their families at the most difficult of times. They are a true Community Hero and we’re delighted to be able to help with their celebration of life garden.

“We've already supported 10 fantastic groups through Community Heroes but we still have 30 winners to announce. Being involved in the local community and supporting charities has always been a core principle of Selco and this year we have upped the ante with a massively enhanced prize pot for Community Heroes.

“We look forward to supporting many more good causes in the weeks and months to come.”

We're delighted to help create 10 new rooms for young people affected by homelessness in Milton Keynes.

We've provided £1,000 of building materials to YMCA Milton Keynes through our award-winning Community Heroes initiative.

YMCA MK provides practical, emotional and employment support to young people who have experienced - or are at risk of- homelessness.

The charity was one of five monthly winners to scoop £1,000 to spend in store in the Community Heroes competition, which attracted hundreds of entries.

Ellie Walsh, Trusts, Foundations and Commissioning Manager at YMCA MK, said: “We are thrilled to be a Selco Community Hero. It’s a huge boost for us as a charity.

“We provide homes to young adults aged between 18 and 35 and create a supportive environment for residents living on campus, enabling them to belong, contribute and thrive.

“These fantastic building materials from Selco will allow us to create 10 new rooms for young people with complex needs, offering a safe and supportive home for even more people in need. Selco are helping us change lives and that's wonderful.”

After the building project the YMCA campus in central Milton Keynes will be home to 233 young people. As well as accommodation, the charity offers employment guidance, support sessions and activities.

Staff at YMCA MK will visit Selco Milton Keynes on Denbigh Road to select its materials.

The charity is just one of more than a dozen groups to win £1,000 of store credit so far in our re-launched and revamped Community Heroes campaign, which runs until September.

In total, £40,000 of materials will be awarded in monthly prizes, followed by £10,000 in cash for an overall winner, £5,000 for second place and £2,500 for third.

Any group that supports the local community has until the end of September to enter online.

Simon Humpage, Head of Multi-Channel Marketing at Selco, said: “Community Heroes is all about celebrating those groups and organisations that do amazing work – and YMCA MK certainly fits into that category.

“Our judges were impressed with the holistic approach YMCA MK takes and the way it transforms people’s lives. It’s a privilege to be able to play a part in creating new rooms to help more people.

“We look forward to supporting many more winners in the months to come.”

A group which promotes active lifestyles by offering free sports sessions in Leeds has won building materials through our Community Heroes scheme to continue its growth.

Champions Community Sport and Health CIC has been named as a Community Heroes regional winner, securing £1,000 to spend in-store at Selco.

The group will use the materials to continue its renovation of an old bowling hut at Hunslet Moor Park in Beeston, which is used as a meeting point and for storage.

Sam Gilmore, of Champions Community Sport and Health CIC, said: “This prize is fantastic news for our group. We are extremely grateful to Selco for their support.

“We run free turn-up-and-play football and multi sports sessions for children in south Leeds, with our offering also including breakfast and lunch.

“We identified that some children and young people in the area don’t have the funds to join a traditional sports club and were, consequently, becoming increasingly inactive, hungry and even involved in local gangs.

“Our weekly sessions attract more than 100 people and are well loved by all. The support of local businesses such as this from Selco means the world to us.”

Sam and the team plan to visit our Leeds Elland Road store to make their purchases.

We are awarding £1,000 each to five regional winners every month until September – a total of £40,000.

At the end of the campaign there will also be an overall winner which will receive £10,000 in cash, while second place will scoop £5,000 and third place will receive £2,500.

Any group that supports the local community has until the end of September to enter online.

Simon Humpage, Head of Multi-Channel Marketing at Selco, said: “A huge congratulations to Champions Community Sport and Health CIC, a true Community Hero. Sport can be so important for children and young people but cost can be a barrier. Champions Community Sport and Health CIC offers a solution with this amazing free service that is clearly making a difference to people’s lives.

“Community Heroes has been a tremendous success over the last four years – and this year it is bigger and better than ever. We look forward to supporting many more winners in the months to come.”

A north London group which helps combat loneliness amongst men by providing a safe space for woodworking and hands-on projects has won a haul of materials in our Community Heroes competition.

Age UK’s Men in Sheds project in Enfield has been named as a monthly regional champion, receiving £1,000 to spend in store with us. This money will be used to purchase new tools and materials for its twice-weekly meetings at John Jackson Library.

“We were overwhelmed to be named as a Selco Community Hero,” said Age UK Enfield Project Manager Mark Huggard.

“The Men in Sheds project aims to improve the well-being and social connections of men, particularly those who are retired or experiencing a life transition.

“We provide a dedicated space where men can come together to engage in various activities, hobbies and projects and learn new skills in the process.

“Our members have made all sorts of items in the last year, including benches, bird boxes, planters, Christmas trees and coasters. The wood, tools and paint we will be able to buy with this fantastic prize will be a huge boost.”

The Enfield Men in Sheds group has around 40 members, who all attend free of charge. Mark and his team plan to visit Selco Enfield store on Crown Road to make their purchases.

This year’s revamped Community Heroes campaign is bigger and better than ever, with a bumper prize pot of £57,500, including 40 individual prizes of £1,000 to spend in store.

Later in the year, an overall winner will also secure the top prize of £10,000 in cash, while second place will scoop £5,000 and third place will receive £2,500.

Any group that supports the local community has until the end of September to enter online.

Simon Humpage, Head of Multi-Channel Marketing at Selco, said: “Community Heroes is our flagship charitable initiative that has supported dozens of good causes over the last four years. We wanted to do even more to support those in need, so this year we have increased both the prize pot and the number of winners significantly.

Congratulations to Age UK on their project being named as one of our first winners. It is easy for men to feel isolated, particularly in later life or after retirement, so it’s brilliant that groups like this exist to give people a chance to get together and do something enjoyable, while learning new skills.

We look forward to supporting many more good causes in the weeks and months to come.”

A South London rugby club with more than a century of history has won £1,000 worth of building materials from us to help renovate an old pavilion to boost sporting opportunities in the local area.

Old Emanuel Rugby Football Club, in Raynes Park, has been named as the monthly winner in our Community Heroes competition in the South London and South Coast region.

The club’s application caught the judge’s attention from hundreds of entries, securing £1,000 to spend on building materials and supplies.

Founded in 1909, Old Emanuel Rugby Football Club is in the process of renovating an old-fashioned sports pavilion, which would benefit the club’s members and the wider community.

Club Chair Justin Latta said: “We're thrilled to receive this fantastic prize from Selco. We are keen to make our facilities as good as they can be and a lot of work is going on behind the scenes. These building materials will make a huge difference and will also allow us to use our cash reserves elsewhere.

“We are a busy and successful club with a full rugby programme from juniors to seniors. We also act as a local hub for two other sides, as well as a midweek university team.

“Furthermore, we host outreach for a local secondary school to help them reintroduce rugby to pupils and the building acts as a community hub for karate, gymnastics and other pastimes.”

This is the fifth year we have run the Community Heroes competition, helping dozens of good causes to revamp their facilities.

This year the campaign is bigger and better than ever before, with 40 monthly prizes of £1,000 to spend in store, followed by £10,000 in cash for an overall winner, £5,000 for second place and £2,500 for third.

Any group that supports the local community is invited to enter online.

Simon Humpage, Head of Multi-Channel Marketing at Selco, said: “Our revamped Community Heroes campaign has caused a huge buzz and we have enjoyed reviewing hundreds of worthy entries already.

“A massive congratulations to Old Emanuel Rugby Football Club, a club steeped in history and with a clear vision for the future. We’re excited to welcome representatives to Selco Wimbledon on Weir Road to help them make the most of their winnings.

“We look forward to supporting many more winners in the months to come.”

The Tour de France may still be a few weeks away, but 11 cyclists from Selco are ready to hit top gear in aid of Cancer Research UK.

A group largely made up of store managers from Selco’s network across north London will be taking to their bikes on June 12 and 13 in aid of Cancer Research UK, our nominated charity.

The team will begin their 55-mile ride at our Hanger Lane store, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary on the same day.

After an overnight stay, they hope to arrive at our Milton Keynes store at around mid-afternoon on the Friday.

Ashley Watts, store manager of Kingsbury and who has arranged the trip, said: “It’s going to be a tough couple of days but hopefully enjoyable.

“We’ve got some people who cycle as a hobby but we’ve also got a good number who don’t go out regularly on a bike but are determined to take on the challenge.

“It’s going to be harder than it could have been as we will be cycling most of the 55 miles along the Grand Union Canal towpath, which is a lot more difficult than it would be on a road.

“We're starting and finishing at Selco stores and we're hoping to pop into a couple more on the route so it will be great to get as many customers and colleagues involved as possible.

“Everyone at Selco is passionate about raising money for Cancer Research UK. We’ve already raised more than £500,000 as a company over the last couple of years so anything we can do to give the overall total a boost will be fantastic.”

All are welcome to make a charity donation to the bike ride.

Our daring colleagues have taken the plunge by completing a heart-stopping bungee jump for charity.

A group of 10 members of the team from our Slough store took part in the thrilling adventure at Bray Lake Watersport Centre in Windsor.

There were more than 50 years between the oldest and youngest jumpers – ranging from 69-year-old shop floor assistant Richard Howton to 18-year-old checkout operator Elizabeth England.

The group raised more than £650 for Cancer Research UK, which is our official nominated charity.

Store manager Tim Howard said: “It was a great day and one that everyone involved thoroughly enjoyed. I didn’t do the jump personally but I have great admiration for all those that did.

“There were a few nerves amongst some of the bungee jumpers before they took part but everyone came off at the end saying how much they had enjoyed the experience.

“It was fantastic to see a good number of fellow colleagues and customers present to cheer on those who did the bungee jump and to be able to raise a good amount of money for Cancer Research UK was fantastic.

“The build-up to the bungee jump, and the day itself, have been enjoyable and it’s created a lot of excitement and a great spirit amongst the team.”

We're proud to have raised more than £500,000 for Cancer Research UK over the last two years and we are continuing to support the charity in 2025.

All the money raised by us over this period has used to help fund vital research by scientists, doctors and nurses in the quest to help beat cancer.

Our fantastic colleagues, customers and suppliers are celebrating scaling the fundraising heights by breaking through the £500,000 barrier for Cancer Research UK.

We’ve passed through the incredible milestone after just two-and-a-half years of raising funds for the charity by doing the equivalent of the following - walking from Land’s End to John O’Groats, climbing Mount Everest four times and cycling five versions of the Tour de France.

Collectively our teams have climbed more than 38,000m, walked 1.7 million steps and cycled over 11,000 miles.

All the money raised has been donated to Cancer Research UK to help fund vital research by scientists, doctors and nurses in the quest to help beat cancer.

The fundraising has seen our colleagues, customers and suppliers take part in a host of in-store events, golf days, runs, bike rides and abseiling challenges, amongst other activities.

Colleagues and customers also donated more than 1,000 bags of clothes and household items to Cancer Research UK to sell in its outlets across the country in 2024, an initiative which is also continuing this year.

Selco Chief Executive Frank Elkins said: “It’s been a phenomenal effort from the entire Selco family.

“For everyone to join forces to raise such an incredible amount of money is testament to how much the charity has been taken to the hearts of all associated with Selco.

“All of us have, in one way or another, been touched by cancer in our lives and the work Cancer Research UK does to find a solution to this horrible disease is inspiring.

“We are honoured to have played a part in providing the funding to allow the doctors, scientists and nurses to continue their outstanding work – and we look forward to carrying on with our support throughout the rest of this year.”

Our donation of £500,000 can be invested in numerous different routes by Cancer Research UK.

Such a total can be used to support Dr Marco Bezzi for three years as he works to understand how prostate cancer evolves to develop resistance to treatment and designing therapies to tackle it.

Alternatively, the money could be used to fund the work of Prof Richard Grundy in Birmingham, leading a major trial to improve survival for children with a rare type of brain tumour known as ependymoma.

Jayna Kawa, Relationship Manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “Selco have been wonderful supporters of Cancer Research UK and to achieve a fundraising figure of £500,000 in two-and-a-half-years is phenomenal. We are thrilled that the partnership is continuing in 2025.

“Selco received a Special Commendation in our recent Flame of Hope Awards and that recognition couldn’t have been any more deserved as they have been one of the most impactful corporate relationship partners across Cancer Research UK.

“Everyone associated with the company approaches the fundraising with complete commitment and we are hugely grateful to the support Selco provides which will make a massive difference to the work and research our teams can carry out.”

Children who spent Easter in hospitals across Dorset were given an eggs-tra special treat by kind-hearted customers and colleagues at our Selco Poole store.

Based at Fleets Corner Business Park on Waterloo Road, our Poole team held a collection in the lead-up to the holiday weekend, with hundreds of pounds worth of special treats collected.

The donation was made to the University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity, which fundraises for University Hospitals Dorset, an NHS Foundation Trust that includes Royal Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch Hospitals.

Chris Dunn, deputy manager at Selco Poole, said: “We wanted to do something for the children in our local area who are going through tough times and had to spend the Easter holidays in hospital.

“We urged our colleagues and customers to donate Easter eggs, other chocolate treats and any other items which would be suitable for children for the time of the year, such as bunny ears, colouring and crafts.

“We were absolutely thrilled with the response we received and our heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who donated.

“Our customer base is made up of tradespeople and their kindness really shone through - it was fantastic to see all our colleagues get behind the campaign too.

“It was brilliant to be able to make such a sizeable donation to University Hospitals Dorset and we hope there were plenty of smiles on the faces of the children as they received their presents.”

A hair loss and breast cancer support service in Medway has won building materials from us to help revamp its new premises.

Cleopatra's Legacy CIC in Chatham has been named as a regional monthly winner in our Community Heroes competition, securing £1,000 to spend in store.

The organisation - which provides wigs, breast forms and support services to people in the region – is soon moving to a new location as its current High Street lease is ending. The £1,000 worth of materials will allow the group to carry out necessary renovations.

Emma Mulcrow, Company Secretary at Cleopatra's Legacy CIC, said: “We are so grateful to Selco for their support.

“We understand the emotional and physical toll that mastectomy and hair loss can take and we are committed to helping our clients regain their confidence and sense of self.

“The end of our current lease means we are being forced to a more expensive location requiring significant renovations. Selco’s support means our essential services can continue uninterrupted, allowing us to create a welcoming space for vulnerable clients.”

Cleopatra's Legacy CIC will visit Selco Rochester on Medway City Estate to select its materials.

Our award-winning Community Heroes campaign re-launched last month with a new spectacular total prize fund of £57,500 – almost five-times bigger than ever before.

That includes 40 individual donations of £1,000 to spend in-store to organisations from York to Southampton.

There will also be overall top prize of £10,000 in cash, and second and third place runners-up will win £5,000 and £2,500 respectively.

Any group that supports the local community can apply online, including community centres, sports clubs, schools and uniformed organisations. Nominations are open until September.

Simon Humpage, Head of Multi-Channel Marketing at Selco, said: “There are many ways Selco and our 75 stores support good causes, but Community Heroes is our flagship charitable programme every year.

"Cleopatra's Legacy stood out amongst the hundreds of entries we received in month one due to the practical support it offers people suffering life-changing conditions. They help people regain a sense of confidence at a traumatic time.

“Community Heroes has been supercharged this year and we look forward to celebrating all 40 regional winners between now and the start of autumn.”