Selco News

A junior football club in Leeds is hoping to top the league both on and off the pitch after receiving support from one of our branches in the city.

Beeston Juniors has been a focal point of the grassroots sporting community in Leeds since 1986 and currently has 10 boys and girls teams between the age groups of under sevens and under 16s.

The clubhouse and pavilion at its Cardinal Square headquarters have been in need of renovation in recent times and we have provided paint and accessories to enable the facility to be freshened up visually.

Lee Horsman, club secretary of Beeston Juniors, said: “We are hugely grateful to Selco for the donation they have provided.

“Running a grassroots football club is very costly and the facilities at the pitches can often be neglected to ensure the youngsters are out on the pitch playing the sport they love.

“Selco’s donation has allowed us to spruce up our clubhouse and help make it a more welcoming environment for both our players and their families.

“We’ve been a big part of the local community since 1986 and donations such as this will ensure we are able to continue providing a service to local youngsters who want to be part of a football club.”

Around 200 children a week attend football training and games at Beeston Juniors, including a soccer school for children aged between five and six.

We have two branches in Leeds, one on Elland Road and one in Roundhay.

Chris Lowry, branch manager at Roundhay, said: “We were only too happy to support the volunteers, players and parents at Beeston Juniors.

“We know it’s a big part of the local community and provides a real opportunity for youngsters to start out on their footballing experiences from a young age.

“The club does fantastic work and we hope our donation has played a part in helping achieve their mission of renovating their facilities.”

Our Leicester branch has helped green-fingered residents improve their mental health by supporting a local charity’s new allotment project.

Communities Food and Wellbeing Hub (CFWH) supports more than 5,000 residents from diverse backgrounds across Loughborough and Leicester each year, through a variety of schemes for people of school age right through to senior citizens.

Our Leicester branch, based on Parker Drive, has provided support to the charity through donations of concrete ballast and cement to help develop an allotment project where residents will plant fruit and vegetables using raised planting beds, while also helping disability access to the site.

Dr Annette Durant, chief executive of CFWH, said: “We are hugely grateful to Selco for their support in helping us to get our allotment project up and running.

“The aim of our charity is to help the increasing number of people who are battling stress and anxiety and to try and address the reasons through a number of different schemes.

“We run hubs for food, health and wellbeing support for individuals, provide school holiday hunger family packages, facilitate health and wellbeing sessions with doctors and many other different services.

“The idea around the allotment project is to encourage people to leave their home, socialise with others and have all the benefits of being in the open air and a friendly environment. We really think it will make a huge difference to the lives of people, especially those feeling isolated.”

The Hilltop Allotment Society plots being utilised for the project are based on Headland Road.

Daniel Grainger, deputy branch manager at Selco Leicester, said: “Communities Food and Wellbeing Hub does wonderful work in the local area, supporting people from a range of different backgrounds through difficult times.

“We're delighted to be backing a project which will make a tangible difference to people’s lives.”

A leading London hospice is celebrating after winning building materials to improve its facilities.

The famous St Christopher’s Hospice in Sydenham has secured £500 to spend at Selco Builders Warehouse through our Community Heroes campaign.

And the hospice – which has been credited as a significant influence on modern global hospice philosophy - will also be one of 12 finalists gunning for the top prize of £5,000 in cash when a public vote opens shortly.

John Vickers, Director of Finance and Corporate Services at St Christopher's, said: “We are very grateful to Selco for their tremendous support. Every donation we receive makes a difference to the people we care for.

“We deliver vital end of life care services to over 6,000 people in our local community each year.

“We are currently refurbishing our inpatient unit, which offers 24/7 care and had 650 patients last year.

“We are making the wards more dementia-friendly with colour-coding, call alarms, increased space, storage units and improved lighting. It’s all about creating a more welcoming and less clinical environment.

“We will be pushing hard to win the top prize when the voting opens soon.”

There were almost 2,000 entries to Community Heroes this year.

Simon Humpage, Head of Multi-Channel Marketing at Selco, said: “Community Heroes continues to go from strength to strength and it is always extraordinarily difficult to select our 12 finalists.

“St Christopher’s stood out due to the huge number of people it supports and its commitment to constant improvement. It’s a privilege to be able to help such a good cause.

“We are looking forward to the Community Heroes voting process starting soon and to finding out who will be our 2024 champion.”

A hostel for teenage girls in Manchester has received our help to provide a safe and comfortable environment.

Contact Hostel, in Whalley Range, has secured £500 worth of materials through our Community Heroes campaign.

The hostel provides a safe home environment for teenage girls who are facing homelessness, caring for up to nine people at any one time.

Helen Gazard, Fundraising Partner at Contact Hostel, said: “We are delighted to receive the support of Selco. Maintaining our living areas and providing a home for vulnerable teenage girls when they need it most is our top priority and help like this is always very welcome.

“We also support the girls to access education, employment or training. Every resident has their own bedroom and access to our comfy living room, our communal kitchen, our newly renovated bathrooms and a dedicated learning hub.

“We look forward to visiting the Selco branch in Ardwick and selecting the materials we need.”

There might be even better news ahead for Contact Hostel, which will now also be a Community Heroes finalist with the chance of winning the £5,000 top prize, or £1,000 as a runner-up.

Contact Hostel will battle it out against the other 11 finalists, with the winner decided by a public vote on our website.

Simon Humpage, Head of Multi-Channel Marketing at Selco, said: “We have supported some incredible groups through Community Heroes this year, and Contact Hostel certainly falls into that category.

“The charity does amazing work in helping these young women get back on their feet. It’s a privilege to be able to help.

“We are looking forward to the Community Heroes voting process starting soon and to finding out who will be our 2024 champion.”

A charity that provides essential youth services in Slough is planning upgrades to its High Street facility after being named as a monthly winner in our Community Heroes competition.

Together As One has secured £500 to spend in branch.

The organisation has a mission to provide opportunities for young people in the town. Its offering include support for young carers, a film club and a group for those with special educational needs and disabilities.

Rob Deeks, CEO of Together As One, said the money would be put towards building an accessible ground-level toilet at its base.

He said: “We couldn’t believe it when we heard we had been selected as a monthly winner against such stiff competition from right across the country.

"We believe in striving for social change, working with young people from all faiths and backgrounds to make a positive difference in our community through training, youth work and creative projects.

“Since moving to our converted shop unit on High Street, we’ve realised the urgent need for accessible facilities so that everyone can feel welcome to use our services.

“This prize is a huge boost and we are very grateful to everyone at Selco for their support.”

We have supported 12 monthly winners through its Community Heroes campaign. Those dozen good causes will all be finalists in the next stage of the competition, where the group which secures the most votes will win £5,000 and a runner-up will bag £1,000. The public vote is set to launch shortly.

Simon Humpage, Head of Multi-Channel Marketing at Selco, said: “We are delighted to be able to support Together As One, which does valuable work with young people in Slough.

“Community Heroes has been extraordinarily popular once again with nearly 2,000 entries. It’s a real privilege to be able to help good causes make a difference right across the country.

“We are looking forward to the voting process starting soon and to finding out who will be our 2024 champion.”

A secondary school in Dudley has moved a step closer to starting to deliver lessons in sustainable living from a new outdoor classroom after winning building materials in our Community Heroes competition.

Thorns Collegiate Academy in Brierley Hill has received £500 to spend in branch.

The school is planning to install an outdoor classroom for new sustainability sessions, which will be open to both pupils and their families, as well as a community allotment.

Thorns Collegiate Academy will also be one of 12 finalists in the Community Heroes campaign with £5,000 up for grabs for the overall winner, as well as £1,000 for a runner-up. A public vote is set to launch shortly.

Sally Philpotts, Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust Director of SEND, said: “We are thrilled to receive this support from Selco.

"The money we have won through Community Heroes will support us in completing the base and groundwork for a large 4m x 6m outdoor classroom.

"The ability to offer outdoor learning opportunities will not only support our students to develop their physical and mental wellbeing, but will also offer invaluable opportunities for staff, students, families and the wider community to understand how they can live more sustainably.

“We will now be pulling out all the stops to try and win the £5,000 top prize, which would be tremendous for everyone involved.”

Community Heroes has been a resounding success with almost 2,000 entries received.

Simon Humpage, Head of Multi-Channel Marketing at Selco, said: “We are delighted to be able to support Thorns Collegiate Academy with its exciting project. Sustainability is a core value of Selco so we are pleased to be able to help a school with a shared vision.

“Community Heroes is our flagship campaign for helping good causes across the country. We have had a tremendous response this year and we are looking forward to the voting stage of the competition beginning shortly.”

We’ve taken the next step in our sustainability journey by expanding our solar panel coverage and increasing the number of electric vehicles and alternative fuel options within our transport fleet.

We now have high-performance solar panels installed in six Selco branches, producing a carbon saving of more than 85,000 kgs – the equivalent of planting more than 5,100 trees.

The solar panels – which were fitted by Amelio Solar Panels with SolarEdge providing the web portal for real-time monitoring - have been installed in Barking, Romford, Stirchley, Sutton, Swansea and York branches.

Craig Bowler, Head of Development at Selco, said: “The installation of solar panels at a number of branches have resulted in significant reductions in our carbon footprint. During business opening hours, we are seeing the solar panels generate close to 100% of the energy required for the branch.

“We're delighted with the impact we are seeing on the overall energy consumption where solar panels have been installed and we look forward to seeing further progress replicated across other branches over time.”

In addition, our transport fleet is moving increasingly to alternative fuel vehicles, including electric forklift trucks and dropside vans.

We now have 29 HGV vehicles operating on either Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) or Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO). In addition, dozens of electric forklift trucks have been added to the fleet, taking the total number in Selco to 222.

Richard Evans, Head of Transport Operations at Selco, said: “The direction of travel over the last five years when it comes to our transport fleet has been towards alternative fuels and electrification.

“We have a clear long-term strategy to reduce our carbon footprint in the communities in which we operate and the progress we are making within the transport fleet is sizeable and will be continued.”

We're proud to have introduced a culture training programme for colleagues to ensure well-meaning fun remains in the workplace – while ensuring a respectful environment.

We've started providing training for our near 3,000-strong workforce as part of the “Better Banter” programme.

The initiative has been provided as part of a joint partnership between Halborns Law and the Builders Merchant Federation.

The content for the course includes debating the difference between banter and harassment, dealing with external forces such as social media, the rise in claims and avenues for dealing with unacceptable behaviour.

Around 1,000 of our colleagues are set to undergo the training before the end of this year, with the remainder to be completed in 2025.

Sally Kerr, HR Director for Selco, said: “We have strong, consistent policies and are making good strides in culture, diversity and inclusivity in the workplace so this training will ensure that we continue to make Selco a place where everyone belongs.

“This isn’t a case of ending banter – far from it. We want our people interacting with colleagues and customers and enjoying being at their place of work.

“We're proud to employ a multi-generational workforce, and I’m certain this course will help us all understand each other a little better as language and communication has evolved.

“We want to set the right tone for workplace communications between colleagues and ensure people have the right tools to deal swiftly with inappropriate banter if it occurs.”

Employment lawyers from Halborns Law have devised the content for the programme, outlining the legal framework and tests for behaviour being classed as harassment.

Members of our in-house training team have received coaching from the lawyers to be able to deliver the programme internally.

A recently-founded Southampton charity which supports people living with dementia, poor mental health or in social isolation across Hampshire and Dorset has become our latest Selco Community Hero.

The Memory Box Foundation, which was established in 2021 and supports more than 6,000 people a year, has been named as a monthly prize winner in our Community Heroes scheme.

The charity is one of just 12 monthly winners from almost 2,000 entries and has scooped £500 worth of building materials from our branches. It will also be involved in a public vote later in the year for the chance to provide a £5,000 cash boost to the charity.

The Memory Box Foundation’s main project is a reminiscence loan box service where themed items, documents and photographs from years gone by are taken into care homes across the region with the aim of engaging residents suffering with dementia and isolation in multi-sensory activity.

The charity will use its building materials prize to extend its Inside Out Sensory Garden project which sees young people aged from 11 to 25 working with care homes to build items such as hedgehog homes, bird boxes and flower beds.

Kayte West, co-founder of the Memory Box Foundation, said: “The people we work with get so much positivity from the resources we have, whether it be objects, documents, photographs or anything else we receive from the general public or through the strong relationship we have with Hampshire Museums.

“Our resources have the ability to improve people’s wellbeing and there is lots of laughter, spontaneous singing and people getting together to enjoy themselves.

“We are thrilled to have won the £500 donation from Selco which will go towards our garden project.

“It creates a really strong bond between young people and the older generation and that link is so important.

“Youngsters can be quite scared of speaking to older people, and the word dementia also creates fear, so we teach them how to communicate and about dementia awareness and it gives them a much more relaxed attitude.

“The Selco Community Heroes initiative is fantastic and we are proud to be one of the winners along with a number of other brilliant charities and community groups across the UK.”

Over the course of the last six months, we have awarded 12 groups materials through our ever-popular Community Heroes initiative.

At the end of the campaign, the dozen winners will go before a public vote, with the most supported winning £5,000 in cash and the runner-up securing £1,000.

Simon Humpage, Head of Multi-Channel Marketing, said: “We're delighted to be able to support Memory Box Foundation which has created an innovative and inspiring route to help support those people battling dementia.

“Community Heroes is our flagship campaign when it comes to supporting the local communities in which we operate and it’s a privilege to be able to help community groups such as the Memory Box Foundation continue their outstanding work.”

The entry period for Community Heroes 2024 has now closed.

We're delighted to have launched a new pilot scheme to offer free ‘MOT’ health checks for our colleagues and potentially help them avoid serious illness.

Health screenings have this week been available for colleagues based at our Support Centre in Wythall, near Birmingham.

Dozens of colleagues have already taken advantage of the scheme – which is run in conjunction with health and wellbeing specialists Westfield Health – in the opening two days of activity.

There are plans in place to extend the offering to our entire workforce of nearly 3,000 people across 75 branches around the UK if the trial proves successful.

The programme has been launched to coincide with Know Your Numbers Week, the UK’s biggest blood pressure testing and awareness event.

Sally Kerr, HR Director at Selco, said: “Ensuring we have a team of engaged and healthy colleagues is a key priority for us at Selco and these health checks are the latest important initiative in us delivering on that.

“It’s vital that everyone keeps on top of their physical health and wellbeing with regular checks, but it’s not always easy to achieve and making health appointments is something which often gets put on the back-burner due to other pressures.

“Our colleagues live very busy lifestyles, many working full time and across a variety of shift patterns. Providing the opportunity for colleagues to secure appointments during a working day will give them the chance to ‘know their numbers’ and much more in a convenient way, and allow them to have access to professional advice so they can make informed lifestyle choices.

“Our first two days of health checks saw all appointments fully booked and the feedback has been extremely positive from the 80 people who took part.

“In addition to this, Westfield Health will also produce an anonymised overview report for us which will allow us to identify areas of focus for our wellness strategy in 2025.”

As well as checking blood pressure levels, the screenings also provide an assessment on a range of other metrics including cholesterol, BMI and blood glucose.

Results are produced immediately with a personal report provided and a discussion with a wellbeing coach included.