NORTON: Three motoring enthusiasts will attempt to drive a 17-year-old sports car across Europe in a charity event next month.

Ian Banks, a project manager for Travis Perkins, with teammates Simon Coulson and Cameron Baptie, will be competing against 100 other vehicles in the annual Scumrun.

CHANDLER'S FORD: Draper Tools has launched the 2010/11 edition of its main tool catalogue, providing a comprehensive guide to the thousands of products available from this leading tool company.

ALFRETON: The strength of the product and service offering made by Recticel Insulation Products has been highlighted by a major award from the UK’s leading provider of timber and building supplies. Recticel was unveiled as ‘Supplier of the Year’ at the recent Internal Build exhibition and supplier conference organised by Jewson.

ALFRETON: Deeplas has launched a dedicated new roofline website to help its distributors and installers drive business forward.

COOKHAM: After nearly a decade of growth under the stewardship of Construction News, the Construction Marketing Awards are to become a CIMCIG-run event. CIMCIG aims to raise the bar in marketing in the construction sector, so taking on the running of an event that showcases excellence is a natural thing to do.

WORCESTER: Heating, bathroom and kitchen products distributor BCG has received a vote of confidence from merchants by winning the Lightside Supplier of the Year Award for the second year running from top building, plumbing and heating products buying group, Cemco.

PLYMOUTH: Discounted Heating Supplies is running a YouTube campaign aimed at homeowners, domestic plumbers and small builders.

DERBYSHIRE: A rail project to cut cement deliveries by road has secured a second national prize for Lafarge Cement at the Eversholt Rail Business Awards last week.

LONDON: B&Q is selling loft insulation at 89 pence a roll during a four-day discount offer.

SHEFFIELD: Pagets Builders' Merchants in Sheffield, through its Green Energy Centre, were part of the team that recently won the 2010 Yorkshire and Humber Microgeneration Partnership Award for the Best Home Installation.

HUDDERSFIELD: Hard landscaping specialist Marshalls has launched a paving planner to give installers a helping hand when it comes to measuring up and planning.

SOLIHULL: Lafarge Cement has scooped Buildbase Scotland’s 2009 Supplier of the Year award following a vote by managers at 15 branches across the country.

LONDON: A group that transformed an area of wasteland with help from Travis Perkins is a finalist in this year's Guardian Awards.

CO DURHAM: Roman has completely re-branded and revamped its collection of brochures for 2010.

NORTHAMPTON: International tool company Stanley Bostitch has announced details of its new trade campaign for 2010, which aims to show builders' merchants and tool retailers how easy it can be to make a strong profit margin from its range of air tools and accessories. The campaign is being supported by a quarterly promotion programme to help stimulate sales.

NUNEATON: Russell Harris – from Mira Showers’ customer services – recently swapped his headset and desktop for a chainsaw and a shovel as part of team building an adventure playground for children in Gambia.

SOUTH MOLTON: A scout hut has been given a makeover with materials donated by Jewson.

LONDON: An 18-tonne lorry with crane based at the South Woodford branch of Travis Perkins, in Marlborough Road, has been resprayed pink as the company prepares to hold it's annual fundraising events which this year will benefit the Breast Cancer Campaign and Children's Hospices charity.

BARROW: Brett Landscaping has launched a new brochure to give consumers inspiration for transforming their outdoor spaces using the company’s paving ranges. Gardens & Drives is aimed at driving sales for stockists and business for installers.

MARKINCH: Timber importer and distributor James Donaldson Timber have started the year with a celebration following its big win at the NBG Supplier of the Year Awards.

WOLVERHAMPTON: Staff at Carvers Building Supplies were certainly getting in to the spirit of things during their recent Electric 80's themed Bonanza Day promotion.

WEST YORKSHIRE: Leyland Trade's fundraising push for Help for Heroes over the past 12 months culminated in a major donation to the charity.

NORTHAMPTON: Travis Perkins has raised over £850 000 for UK charities Action for Children and Mencap.

MARLOW: Ryobi Power Tools, one of the UK’s chief power tool manufacturers, has signed DIY star Craig Phillips as its new ambassador for the brand.

LUTTERWORTH: PTS has launched an online service which allows account customers to order products anytime, day or night.

MANCHESTER: ToolBank, Lafarge Cement, and Donaldson Timber received supplier of the year awards at the NBG gala last week.

LONDON: Wickes raised £110 000 from a charity dinner to reach its charity fundraising target of £1m for Leukaemia Research.

MIDDLSBROUGH: Joseph Parr is the first company to enter a competition to sponsor Darlington FC's shirt.

ROCHESTER: As part of its ongoing commitment to encourage end users to use high efficiency heating systems, Vaillant, is investing £2m in a high profile nationwide TV advertising campaign.

LUTON: Gibbs and Dandy has teamed up with a local insurance company to support a Luton hospice.

YEOVIL: Over the past decades a small handbook called ‘The Book of Wise Decisions’ has become a favourite with architects, builders and contractors. The handbook contains concise information plus useful guidance on how specific construction details can be successfully tackled.

SHEFFIELD: Stanley's support for merchants and retailers continues with the launch of its first promotion of 2010. Building on last year's 'Helping Hand' promotions, the latest offer encourages professionals to " get talking – and buying tools", said David Osborne, Stanley's marketing director.

NORTHAMPTON: Builders' merchant group, Travis Perkins, has committed to supporting two new charities for 2010 and 2011 – The Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance and Keech Hospice Care for children.

BRISTOL: Burdens has launched a catalogue for groundwork equipment. There are two versions, with prices in sterling or euro available as a download from the company's website or in hard copy form.

WALES: A Dimplex Opti-myst fire has made its TV debut as the focal point for village life and pub gossips in a new light drama series.

WORCESTER: Kitchen, bathroom and heating distributor BCG's Airmiles scheme is being welcomed by the company's retail customers. The loyalty scheme, launched late last year, enables customers to collect points across a broad range of the BCG product portfolio.

KENT: Marley Plumbing & Drainage received positive feedback from its recent merchant customer survey. Ninety-three per cent of merchants surveyed agreed that order or invoice queries were resolved quickly, while 115 out of 118 merchants felt that product queries were dealt with efficiently.

WILTSHIRE: Marley Plumbing & Drainage has redesigned its permanent exhibition space at the National Self Build & Renovation Centre, Swindon, to include its Waterloc250 stormwater and rainwater harvesting systems and Alutec aluminium and Life4 rainwater ranges.

TEESSIDE: JT Dove enlisted the help of an 11-year-old to design part of the landscaping display in its £1.5m Teesside outlet redevelopment.

SOLIHULL: Lafarge Cement UK has been named as British Precast's Sustainability Champion for the second year running.

LEAMINGTON SPA: When it comes to leading the way in customer service, BCG, a leading name in kitchens, bathrooms and heating, is storming ahead with its new Stock Availability Manager.

HULL: The building industry is not best known for salads and low fat diets but rather for full English breakfasts and no exercise. MKM are going to have a go at changing this. After the usual over indulgences of Christmas and the New Year, MKM plan to hit ground running with an initiative that's got to be a first in the industry.

LEAMINGTON SPA: Birmingham communications consultancy firm Switch has completed the new website for drainage product supplier Drain Center, a Wolseley UK group company.

STOKE-ON-TRENT: Materials testing, analysis and consultancy firm Ceram has boosted its web offering to customers in the construction industry with the launch of a revitalised website that provides expanded industry-specific services and a large resource of reports, white papers and guidance documents.

COVENTRY: Following the Government's announcement outlining its proposals to deliver a boiler scrappage scheme, Graham, the plumbers' merchants, plans to launch a dedicated website aimed at helping to understand and promote the scheme.

PETERBOROUGH: Indesit's new UK website has gone live. It has been redesigned to reflect the brand’s personality and philosophy, making it easy to navigate, with all the information a customer requires.

LEICESTER: The National Merchant Buying Society is rolling out a service for its members that will enable them to create their own website, for free, 'in about 15 minutes'.

DROITWICH SPA: AKW have unveiled the new look catalogue detailing its range of showering, daily living and kitchen products.

LONDON: There were 53 diplomas awarded by the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers at its Awards presentations late last year. This was the highest number ever awarded and, said president Andrew Hall, "there were some impressive candidates to applaud".

BIDEFORD: A vacant Bideford town centre shop has been turned into a Christmas grotto in time for the arrival of Father Christmas this weekend.

MALDON: Travis Perkins in Maldon donated materials to help a charity project by Moat housing association.

BATLEY: After setting the industry alight with its high-octane ‘Mad About Colour!’ campaign, trade paint brand Leyland recently gave two race goers a taste of life in the fast lane thanks to its unique partnership with British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) and Porsche Carrera Cup GB team Motorbase Performance.

ALCESTER: Lafarge Cement has donated two pallets of cement for the construction of a memorial garden built to remember the lives of two firefighters from Alcester who died tragically in a fire in November 2007.

ST PANCRAS, LONDON: Travis Perkins is to sponsor Out of the Closet, the annual wardrobe clear out by Sir Elton John and David Furnish.

DONCASTER: Sentry Doors has been awarded the Product Manufacturer Award at the annual Chartered Institute of Building's Celebrating Construction in South Yorkshire Awards 2009.