PEOPLE NEWS
Wilko donates £400- worth products to teenage cancer unit
Following the opening of its new store at Selly Oak Shopping Park in September, the home and garden retailer presented the Teenage Cancer Trust with £400-worth of Wilko products.
The donation will go towards supporting
the Teenage Cancer Trust Young Person’s Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, which supports patients aged 16-24. As well as providing a nice environment, with soft furnishings, a large social space
and dining room for patients to enjoy, the unit also gives young people the best possible care, support and access to treatment via a team of specialist doctors, nurses and youth support staff, who are all experts in teenage and young adult cancer care. The donation from Wilko included electronic toys and games, lights and baking sets, which will be used in the lounge and dining area of the unit to entertain the in and out-patients. The gesture is one of a number of donations and local initiatives carried out by the
retailer following the opening of a new store, as Wilko seeks to engrain its outlets and colleagues into the communities within which they operate. Wilko Selly Oak Manager Jan Morris said: “We’re delighted to donate products to the
Teenage Cancer Unit. It’s great to know we are able to support a cause right on our doorstep and give products that will help the teenagers as they go through treatment”.
Rudridge makes new appointments in Farnham and Brentford branches
The materials and groundworks supplier has promoted Tom Porter to the position of sales co-ordinator at its Farnham branch. Mr Porter, who has worked at the company most
recently as a yard foreman, will be working closely with the rest of the sales team dealing with a range of sales enquiries and providing support with specific customers.
Commenting on his new role, he said: “I am delighted to be joining the sales team at
Farnham. I have worked at the company for a number of years now so I have built some really strong relationships with suppliers and customers alike. I’m really looking forward to the new challenge this role will bring.” Mr Porter’s promotion follows news of the appointment of Danny Edwards as the new
area sales executive at Rudridge’s Brentford branch. Mr Edwards, who has over six years’ experience in the industry and working for the
Travis Perkins Group, will be responsible for face-to-face account management of the branch’s customers. He will also attend site visits to discuss specific job requirements, and work closely with the sales director and branch manager to develop new and existing business in the area.
Farnham employee helps to raise over £1,000 for charity
An employee from Farnham has joined a group of runners dressed as Santa and helped to raise over £1,000 for The Christie NHS Foundation Trust after taking part in a 5km run. Amanda Till, who is a sales administrator at the groundworks and materials supplier Rudridge, took part in the ‘Santa in the City’ event in London, along with a team of seven other people. Dressed in Santa outfits, the team ran 5km across the City of London to support the worthy cause, which provides enhanced services for the NHS that are beyond its funding. Ms Till said: “It was a really fun event and quite surreal running alongside so many Santas! It was a fantastic experience and a great way to see some of the City’s most famous landmarks and raise money for charity at the same time.” All money raised by the team will be given to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust to help it to continue to provide support to its patients and their families.
Decco names new manager
The home improvement and garden wholesaler has appointed Jack Robbins as manager of its Dagenham branch. Mr Robbins will be moving across from Decco sister company, Stearn
Electric which he joined as a graduate trainee in 2015.
He said of his new role: “I’m delighted to join Decco - one of the biggest names in the garden and DIY industry - and look forward to building relationships with existing and new customers. In 2019 Decco Dagenham will be working hard to offer our customers the best service,
whilst continuing
support our suppliers with the best route to market for their products.” Decco operates seven sites around the
country, with a combined total of more than 350,000sq ft of warehousing space and over £10million-worth of stock. The business supplies independent high street retailers and garden centres throughout the UK with gardening, home improvement and housewares products.
Ironmongery Direct’s diverse graduate scheme attracts applicants from across the UK
Online trade supplier, Ironmongery Direct is celebrating the success of its graduate management scheme, which has seen the business recruit two new colleagues from its previous intake of newly qualified students. One of the stand-out performers is Dimitra Koutsochera. She joined Ironmongery
Direct in 2013 after completing an MSc in Business Management and, since starting as a graduate management trainee, has gone on to be promoted to supply chain and inventory planning manager.
Ms Koutsochera attributes her ability to excel in the scheme to the diversity on
Pictured (L-R) Dimitra Koutsochera, Oliver Bull and Luke Scott
6 DIY WEEK 14 JANUARY 2019
offer in her role and the opportunities she was given to realise her key strengths. She explained: “My university course gave me the tools and introduced me to the best frameworks for me to know what it takes to perform a job well. However, you are only going to learn if someone gives you the opportunity to apply this into practice, make mistakes, and learn from them. “This is the advantage of the Ironmongery Direct graduate scheme, as you have the opportunity to work in various departments, build business acumen, earn further qualifications, and at the end of it all, identify what you really enjoy doing and start a career. You understand how each department links to each other and the impact that your decisions may have. Graduate schemes give you the flexibility to choose what is best for you and your future career, compared to going down another route.” Ironmongery Direct’s latest group of graduates includes Oliver Bull and Luke Scott. Mr Bull graduated from the University of Warwick having completed a Masters in MSc Biotechnology, Bioprocessing and Business Management and is already immersing himself in the new role. “I have just started my first three-month project, aimed at further enhancing customer experience,” he said. “I have been welcomed and already feel valued and part of the team.
to
James Barnes appointed HTA chairman
The former Dobbies chief exec has been appointed chairman of the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), with effect from January 2019. James Barnes is a well-known and
respected figure across the horticultural industry and brings with him over 23 years’ of experience in garden retail. He will join the HTA board, and work in conjunction with the president and the board, and with
the senior executive director and management team supporting the HTA’s strategic direction. Between 1989 and 2013, Mr Barnes was chief executive of Dobbies Garden Centres and was instrumental in developing the business from a turnover of £4million to more than £150million. During his tenure, he led a management buyout in 1994, a flotation in 1997 and the sale of the business to Tesco in 2007. After six years with the Tesco Group, Mr Barnes left Dobbies in July 2013. Commenting on the appointment, HTA
president Adam Taylor said “The board and executive are delighted to welcome James as Chairman of the Association. His wealth of experience and knowledge of the garden industry as well as other business experience will ensure that at this exciting and challenging time, the Association continues to be in the strongest position to represent and assist its members in every way.” James Barnes commented: “I have always admired what the HTA has achieved for the industry and how it has grown in stature over the years. I am very much looking forward to taking on this new role and helping to foster the Association’s continued development.”
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