Selco has raised almost £3,000 for charity CRASH, which helps the homeless and hospices through construction related projects.

The builders’ merchant raised the money by selling plastic bags across its 64 branches for 5p throughout 2017.

CRASH works collaboratively with all of the projects it supports to deliver assistance in three ways: free of charge professional expertise, sourcing and specifying building materials, and awarding cash grants. It aims to create places that can care for people who need it.

Selco’s donation will help the homelessness charity Edinburgh Cyrenians with its building project to refurbish two warehouses, in which its Good Food Programme will create a new eight-person training kitchen.

A total of just under £6,000 was raised through Selco’s plastic bag scheme, with the rest of the money raised going to the builders’ merchant’s long-standing nominated charity, Macmillan Cancer Support.

Selco has raised more than £500,000 for Macmillan since partnering with the charity in 2012.

Rob Brewill, Finance Director at Selco Builders Warehouse, said: “The carrier bag charge has helped us to drastically reduce the number of single-use bags we use as a company, which from an environmental point of view is great.

“It has also offered us another way to raise money and help charities close to our hearts. We were impressed with the work CRASH does, offering practical and financial help to other charities focusing on homelessness and hospices.

“We’re certain that this money will be well used to improve people’s lives. That’s an exciting thing to be involved in.”

Kate Marsh, Senior Partnerships Manager at CRASH, added: ‘‘We are so grateful to Selco for their generous donation of £3,000 which will help to improve the lives of homeless men and women who benefit from Edinburgh Cyrenians Good Food Programme and for the part they have played in helping CRASH to continue our much-needed work.’’