AND FINALLY
BMF Burns Night celebration raises £17,500 for charity
The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) raised £17,500 for its annual charities, the Maddie Rose Foundation and The Educational Frontier Trust (TEFT), at its annual Burns Night supper held at Cameron House, Loch Lomond.
Over 300 BMF members and guests attended the federation’s event in Scotland, which celebrates the life and works of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns. The BMF’s special guests for the evening included Marnix van Hoe, director general of
IBMG raises money for Breast Cancer Now charity
Independent Builders Merchant Group raised more than £2,600 for Breast Cancer Now via its 2025 Flash Your Pink Pair Campaign.
During October branches stocked limited-edition pink work gloves, created by glove manufacturer Keypoint, who donated 40 pence for every pair sold. IBMG brands added a further £1 donation per pair. This year’s campaign placed a strong focus not only on fundraising but also on education and awareness. Men can also be diagnosed, and early detection remains critical for everyone.
Branches embraced the campaign with in-store displays, conversations with customers, and social media activity designed to encourage people to check themselves regularly. Emma Champion, group marketing manager, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to our customers, colleagues, and suppliers for getting behind this year’s Pink Glove Campaign. Breast Cancer Now carries out essential work, and we’re proud that our industry can come together to support a cause that touches so many lives.”
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UFEMAT and FEST, representing merchant, supplier, and H&V organisations across Europe, and Steve Collinge, MD of Insight Retail Group, who authored the BMF report on The Builders Merchant Branch of the Future. In keeping with tradition, guests enjoyed the customary piping in of the haggis by piper Kevin McLeod, before Gordon Nelson, Scotland director of the Federation of Master Builders, delivered the Address to the Lassies, and Rachel Davies, head of key accounts at Velux, gave
the reply. The evening was hosted by Nick Boyle, national sales director at Jewson Civils Frazer, who
encouraged everyone to bid on auction prizes and boost the funds raised for charity. BMF CEO, John Newcomb, said: “Once again, the BMF’s Scottish region has organised a fantastic event. Our thanks go to sponsors Velux, Brett Martin,
Crown Trade transforms mental health hospital
Supplier Crown Trade has supported the newly-opened Cygnet Kenney House in Oldham with a full colour consultation and a supply of paint to create a therapeutic, welcoming space for women recovering from mental health challenges.
Cygnet Kenney House, part of the Cygnet Health Care division, is a dedicated mental health hospital for women, designed to provide a comfortable and safe environment. It also offers accessible spaces for friends and
family to visit, to help foster strong connections during recovery. Working closely with Cygnet’s in-house designer, Hannah Cooper, Crown Paints colour consultant Jemma Saunders led the development of a considered colour palette tailored to the needs of patients and staff. This collaboration marks a significant step toward a unified aesthetic approach across all Cygnet hospitals, with comfort and wellbeing at its heart.
Saunders said: “Crown Trade
D W Burns employee steps in to assist BBC Scam Interceptors
D W Burns have honoured the actions of employee, Max Morley, who recently assisted the BBC’s Scam Interceptors team alongside Amanda Holden in preventing a local resident from falling victim to fraud. The programme’s lead contacted the branch after realising
their team on the ground would
not be able to reach the individual in time. The person lived on the same street as the branch where the attempted scam was taking place, so when Max answered the phone, he was asked if he could help. Without hesitation, Max ran to the person’s home and managed to
intercept them, saving them from
has worked closely with Cygnet on the colour schemes for numerous health and social developments, including Cygnet Kenney House, and we’ll continue to support them as they create new, thoughtfully-designed healthcare environments across the UK. “Colour plays an essential role in healthcare design, particularly in mental health settings. It can influence how safe, calm and supported someone feels”
completing the transaction and losing money.
Jon Macintyre, Area General Manager, commented “This swift and selfless act exemplifies the values that D W Burns hold dear. We pride ourselves on supporting our local community, and Max’s actions are a shining example of our commitment to helping those around us”.
“We extend our heartfelt thanks to Max for stepping up in such an urgent situation. His courage and quick thinking prevented a devastating outcome and demonstrated the very best of what we stand for as a business”.
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net February 2026
Fakro GB, and Specialist Driver Resourcing for their generous support, and to Intercity, PDM, Peritum, and Talasey for their donations of auction prizes, helping us raise a fantastic sum for the BMF’s charities.”
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