AND FINALLY
Midlands Construction Community event raises £167,000 for local charities
Four leading Midlands independent companies – Tippers, EH Smith Builders Merchants, Friel Construction and M Lambe Construction – joined forces on September 19 for the inaugural Midlands Construction Charity Event. The event, held at the newly built Masters Suite at The Belfry, raised a staggering £167,000. This sum will be equally shared between four local charities: Acorns Children’s Hospice, St Giles Hospice, Tabor Living, and the Christy Lambe Foundation – all chosen for their invaluable contributions to the Midlands community.
With more than 300 guests in attendance, the evening was
suppliers – demonstrating the breadth and strength of the Midlands construction community.
Director at Tippers, Joe Tipper said: “This event was about more than just celebrating construction – it was about demonstrating what can be achieved when independent businesses stand shoulder to shoulder. To raise £167,000 in our first year is a testament to the generosity of our industry and the strength of our community.”
a celebration of the family- run, independent businesses that form the backbone of the region’s construction industry.
Guests included representatives from across the sector – groundworkers, developers, commercial contractors, and
Tarmac Blue Circle sponsors BoB project
Tarmac Blue Circle has sponsored the latest project by volunteers from Band of Builders (BoB), a charity which completes practical projects to help members of the UK construction industry and their families who are battling illness or injury. Stevie Taylor, a teenager from Rotherham diagnosed with Battens Disease at the age of eight, has spoken of her joy at setting foot in the garden of her home for the first time ever after volunteers from the national construction charity turned what was an overgrown jungle into a safe sensory space in just 15 days.
This is the 47th project
completed by the charity – which, as well as completing practical projects for members of the construction industry, offers wellbeing support, including a text service (text BOB to 85258), and financial help.
Packed products director, Garry Gregory, said: “It’s been a real honour for Tarmac Blue Circle to support the transformation of Stevie’s garden alongside Band of Builders. Thanks to the kindness, dedication and expertise of the volunteers, we’ve been able to create something that will make a genuine difference to Stevie and her family. Collaboration sits at the heart of our industry, and this project is a shining example of how, when we come together and pool our skills and resources, we can achieve something truly special.”
Howdens colleague in record-breaking Pacific crossing
Howdens colleague Miriam Payne, a Solid Surface Worktops Processor, and Jess Rowe, have completed an unsupported 8,000-plus-mile (15,200 km) Pacific Ocean crossing from Lima, Peru to Cairns, Australia. The pair , who together form the Seas the Day Ocean Rowing Team, have been rowing to support The Outward Bound Trust, a UK-based charity that helps young people develop
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resilience and life skills through adventure. So far the team has raised more than £86,000 surpassing their £50,000 goal. HR director, Alison Fisher, commented: “We have followed Miriam and Jess’s journey with awe and admiration and Howdens is proud to be a lead partner. Miriam is a brilliant colleague, and we couldn’t be prouder of the team’s record- breaking journey.”
The organisers extended special thanks to the headline sponsors – FP McCann, Keystone, Ibstock, and Holcim – along with the invaluable support of additional sponsors Wrekin, Brett Martin, BS Eaton, Hitachi, British Gypsum, Ideal Standard, MGF, Bristan, and JCB, whose contributions made the evening possible.
NMBS raises charity cash and pays tribute
More than 1,000 independent builders’ merchants and suppliers came together to at the NMBS annual Dinner Dance on October 25, in the Great Room, Grosvenor House, London.
The event raised £10,000 for two charities CRASH, the construction industry charity tackling homelessness and hospice projects, and the Maddie Rose Foundation, which supports young people entering the merchanting sector. This year also marked the final Dinner Dance hosted by NMBS’s CEO, Chris Hayward, who will step down in April 2026, after 47-year career at NMBS.
The pair’s journey places them among the world’s elite ocean rowers, marking the first female team to row the Pacific mainland to mainland non-stop and unsupported.
“NMBS has never been in better shape,” Hayward said. “With turnover projected to exceed £2.2bn this year, we remain firmly on track, and it’s down to the strength of our members and suppliers that we continue to thrive.”
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net November 2025
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