News Archives

Long Rake Spar Joins the Movember Movement!

4 November 2024 Tammy Tidmarsh

This November, four dedicated team members at Long Rake Spar are putting down their razors to raise awareness and funds for men’s health through Movember.

Shane McCormick, National Sales Manager for Natural Selection, Dan Travis, Managing Director of Grantex and Industrial Products and Dan McMahon and Glynn Jefferies, Area Sales Managers for Natural Selection are busy growing the ‘mo’ this month! With the goal of supporting essential issues like mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer, our colleagues are going to be sporting fresh moustaches for a meaningful cause.

Join us in cheering them on by contributing to their Movember campaign. Every donation, big or small, makes a difference in supporting vital men’s health initiatives. Please give what you can.

Donate Here: https://bit.ly/3UxcyAW

FutureScape Event 2024

18 October 2024 Tammy Tidmarsh

We are excited to share the highlights from our attendance at the FutureScape Show, held on October 15th and 16th. Our team was proud to showcase our latest innovations at Stand P62, where we introduced two new products that promise to elevate landscaping projects: premium product Savannah Rose chippings and a construction and landscaping favourite, Grano Dust. In addition to this we showcased exciting new technology due to be launched in 2025 to assist our merchant customers with their sales.

The FutureScape Show is the UK’s largest landscaping expo and trade event, which attracts a large number of professionals from across all sectors of the industry. This year was no exception with over 4000 visitors taking time out of their busy schedules to visit this two-day show. Our stand was buzzing with interest as attendees explored our new offerings and engaged with our knowledgeable staff.

Savannah Rose Chippings (shown below) are a stunning addition to our range of premium decorative aggregates for 2025. With its unique blend of warm hues, Savannah Rose is perfect for creating eye-catching garden pathways, decorative borders, and for creating striking features in outdoor spaces.

AR is coming to Long Rake Spar/Natural Selection. This ground breaking technology will assist our merchants with their sales with our Augmented Reality visualiser, helping merchant customers select the perfect product for their gardens. On show for the first time at FutureScape, this is due for release in 2025 and was met with great enthusiasm from customers.

We introduced Grano Dust at FutureScape Event also – a versatile product that serves as an excellent base material for various landscaping projects. Grano Dust provides superior compaction and stability, making it ideal for creating solid foundations for paths, patios, artificial grass and other outdoor structures. Its fine texture ensures smooth finishes.

The positive feedback from visitors at our stand has been overwhelming. Many expressed their enthusiasm for our new products Savannah Rose and Grano Dust, highlighting a need for these products in the market. We look forward to seeing these products in action next year and are excited to work with our merchants to bring these products to the marketplace.

Thank you to everyone who visited us at FutureScape Show 2024. If you missed us, please don’t hesitate to reach out for more information about Savannah Rose, Grano Dust, or indeed any of our other aggregates.

Long Rake Spar Finalists at Prestigious BMJ Awards

28 September 2024 Tammy Tidmarsh

Yesterday, Long Rake Spar proudly attended the BMJ Awards dinner, which took place in London on Friday, September 27th. This prestigious event celebrates the top achievements in the builders’ merchant sector. Representing Long Rake Spar were Shane McCormick, Wendy Pearson, and Tammy Tidmarsh, who gathered to celebrate with industry peers and recognise the year’s best.

Long Rake Spar earned its place as a finalist in the Landscaping Supplier of the Year category, marking an outstanding achievement in a competitive field. Reaching the finals was a significant honour and a testament to the company’s ongoing commitment to quality and service.

Reflecting on the event, Shane McCormick commented, “It was an incredible experience to be there among such inspiring companies. Although we didn’t take home the award, it’s an honour to be recognised at this level. We’re grateful for the support of our customers and colleagues who helped us get here.”

Special recognition was given to the entire team at Long Rake Spar, whose hard work and dedication made the nomination possible. “Our team is at the heart of everything we do,” Tammy Tidmarsh added. “Without their commitment and expertise, we wouldn’t be celebrating this achievement.”

Long Rake Spar’s commitment to quality and customer service has consistently set them apart, and this year’s finalist position highlights its reputation as a trusted and reliable supplier.

Shane McCormick Honoured as Freeman

16 September 2024 Tammy Tidmarsh

We are thrilled to announce that Shane McCormick, National Sales Manager for Natural Selection, has been appointed as a Freeman of the prestigious Worshipful Company of Builders’ Merchants. This esteemed honour recognises Shane’s exceptional contributions to the builders’ merchant industry and highlights his commitment to excellence and innovation.

The Worshipful Company of Builders’ Merchants, one of the City of London’s ancient livery companies, is dedicated to promoting the highest standards in the construction supply sector. Becoming a Freeman is a significant accolade, acknowledging Shane’s leadership, expertise, and dedication to the trade. Beyond the ceremonial significance, this historic tradition also grants Shane the unique (and amusing) privilege of crossing his sheep over London Bridge toll-free – a nod to the ancient roots of the Freedom of the City.

“We couldn’t be prouder of Shane,” said Trevor Broadhurst, Owner and Managing Director of Long Rake Spar. “This honour reflects his tireless work and passion for advancing the industry. His dedication to building strong relationships and driving growth within the sector is an inspiration to all of us at Long Rake Spar.”

Shane shared his gratitude for the recognition, stating, “It is a privilege to be welcomed into such an esteemed organization. I am deeply honoured to join the Worshipful Company of Builders’ Merchants and look forward to contributing to its proud tradition of fostering excellence in our industry.”

This appointment not only celebrates Shane’s individual achievements but also underscores Natural Selection’s role as a key player in the builders’ merchant sector. Congratulations to Shane on this well-deserved honour and on his historic right to shepherd sheep toll-free over London Bridge!

Awards Finalists!

21 August 2024 Tammy Tidmarsh

Proud to be named a finalist for Landscaping Supplier of the Year at the BMJ Industry Awards! Thank you to everyone who voted – your support means the world to us!

We are very proud to announce that we are a finalist for 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 in the BMJ Industry Awards!

The finals will be held on 27th September at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. We are grateful to everyone who took the time to vote for us. It means a lot to us as a business and also individually to all our hardworking staff.

Stoney Middleton Wells Dressings

7 August 2024 Tammy Tidmarsh

Long Rake Spar has supplied stone to village well-dressings for over 30 years. All to keep ancient traditions alive in the local communities and to raise money for local charities. The well-dressings are crafted from all-natural materials, so stone is an obvious part of that, alongside flower petals, leaves, and mosses.

The stone in this well-dressing for Stoney Middleton is created using stunning marble material- Arctico White and Azzuro Blue from the Grantex Specialist Aggregates range. Other stones used in this display are from the Natural Selection range- Polar Ice, with a mix of grey/white to give a nice tonality. The gold is Onyx, whilst the bright white is made using Polar White.

The resulting well-dressing is nothing short of stunning (see image below). To read more about the history of the well-dressing see HERE >>

Skydive to raise funds for local Preschool

8 July 2024 Tammy Tidmarsh

Logistics Coordinator for Long Rake Spar, Anna Grindey has agreed to do a skydive on the 18th of August to help raise much-needed funds for Youlgrave Preschool!

Youlgrave Preschool relies on many fundraising events throughout the year to raise funds to keep their amazing preschool up and running! So this year Anna has bravely decided to take part in a tandem skydive to help raise even more money to make sure children in the future can keep attending this brilliant setting!

All money raised will help to keep the preschool up and running and will help buying new equipment for the children to help develop their learning even more.

Donations to help Anna rise as much as possible can be made here –

https://bit.ly/45SZP07

Good luck Anna! We all wish you the best!

Natural Selection latest NPS

2 July 2024 Tammy Tidmarsh

Long Rake Spar’s decorative aggregate brand Natural Selection has recently surpassed industry standards with a NPS (Net Promoter Score) of +67.

We asked a series of questions covering areas such as customer service, product quality, and price to gain a deeper insight into all areas of the business. We then looked at how that feedback can be translated into meaningful action and improvement across the Natural Selection brand and the wider business.

We feel that ultimately the success of our business, and all businesses, is reliant upon customer satisfaction. If customers are not happy with our products and service we do not have a business. These surveys form part of the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems framework that we work to, to ensure that we continue to improve our processes. We place great importance on understanding how we can improve and feedback from customers in this process is vital.

If we have happy customers and good working relationships, it shows we are doing a good job. We are delighted with this latest NPS, which is testament to our core ethos of quality and service.

Shane’s Story

31 May 2024 Tammy Tidmarsh

National Sales Manager for Long Rake Spar/Natural Selection, Shane McCormick has decided to share his story during Skin Cancer Awareness month, because in his words, “If just one person sees this, changes their behaviour, and saves themselves as a result, then it’s worth it.”

Shane was first diagnosed with skin cancer in 2017 after 13 years of being a Landscape Gardener. Shane had switched roles about eight years before the skin cancer diagnosis but the damage of 13 years working outside without sun protection had already been done. Shane admits that he never considered using sunscreen or covering up when it was sunny.

If just one person sees this, changes their behaviour, and saves themselves as a result, then it’s worth it.

Shane McCormick

In April 2017 Shane visited the doctor after discovering a new mole on his back and a new freckle on his face. Originally Shane went to see if he could get the freckle removed as he was more concerned about his appearance rather than thinking it was anything serious. However, Shane’s GP was concerned by the mole on his back, and he was referred to Winchester Hospital where he had the mole removed in a biopsy. It was just before the bank holiday weekend in May 2017 when he was asked to come in for his results.

Shane and wife Denise were due to go away for the weekend and stopped off at the hospital on the way to get the results. Shane said “I really didn’t expect it to be anything serious. We didn’t even tell the kids about it because we thought it would be nothing.” When they arrived for the appointment, a doctor took them into a private room and explained that Shane had melanoma – one of the worst types of skin cancer as it can travel. “I was so shocked. It was a lot to digest” he said.

When further tests revealed the cancer had been removed during the biopsy, Shane says he breathed a sigh of relief. He added, “It was a wake-up call to me that I needed to protect my skin from the sun and immediately after my diagnosis, I started wearing sun cream regularly.”

The process was all so straightforward, says Shane, and as I didn’t need any further treatment it felt like I’d had a lucky escape.

Shane had two years after that of thinking that everything was fine. However, in November 2019, Shane woke one morning to find a lump under his right arm, which had appeared overnight. Shane said “I think I was in denial because I dismissed it and even went to work the following day. But I couldn’t get the niggling thought out of my mind, so I left work and drove straight to Southampton General Hospital.” At the hospital, Shane underwent tests and was asked to come back when the results were ready.

It was December 23rd when the hospital asked Shane to return. He added “My wife and I were nervously sat in the waiting room when they called my name. They said that the lump was a tumour and the cancer had returned. It had spread to my lymph nodes. The world just came crashing down around me. One minute I had thought everything was great and wonderful, the next minute I was finding out the cancer had spread and that I would require an operation.” Shane admits that he was scared for his family, for himself, what would happen to the family home – will they be okay financially? He said “It is one of those moments that you’ll never forget; my wife was distraught, and the overriding emotion I felt was fear. I was frightened. It became very real, very quickly”.

Shane’s surgery to remove the cancerous lump was scheduled for the first week of January in 2020. He said: “To say it was a rough Christmas is an understatement. I just wanted to get the surgery over and done with.” During the operation, Shane had further surgery to the affected area on his back, plus 24 lymph nodes were removed, including lymph nodes in his groin to check to see if the cancer had travelled.

The results of the procedure were positive. Shane said “I feel very lucky. All looked well after the operation and, once I’d recovered, I went through immunotherapy in March 2020, which was intravenous, so I was put on a drip. Since then, I’ve had the all-clear which was just incredible.”

Shane now goes every six months for a scan, as he has been told he is prone to get more melanomas due to the sun damage he already has. This means a two-week “scan-xiety” wait for the results. “You’re thinking – ‘when will the luck run out’?” added Shane.

Shane now wears a lymphoedema sleeve over his right arm where his lymph nodes were removed, which puts pressure on his limb to keep the lymph flowing, and he cannot sit in the sun. He said: “I have to be very careful. I now wear long-sleeved tops, sit under umbrellas and am covered in factor 50 sun cream. “Long gone are the days of working topless in the garden.”

A national survey by Melanoma UK and builders merchant Jewson has found up to 60 per cent of UK tradespeople working outdoors are not checking their skin for signs of cancer, despite the increased risk. They also found that more than 30 per cent of construction workers are not using sun protection on site.

Some Builders Merchants such as Jewson’s now stock sunscreen at all their branches, which means if you’re buying materials, you can buy sunscreen at the same time.

Shane hopes to raise awareness of the risk of skin cancer for outdoor workers, saying: “Twenty years ago, skin cancer wasn’t talked about much on the job site and, I wasn’t interested in having conversations around the dangers of sun exposure.” Attitudes are starting to change, but the construction industry is one that is male dominated, and this has an element of bravado. And there are a lot of people who think it won’t happen to them because it is such a difficult thing to imagine.

Skin cancer can develop from existing moles, but in 70% of cases it appears as new marks on the skin. Experts recommend doing a skin check once a month. Skin is not designed for prolonged exposure to the sun, so we are urging outdoor workers to keep their shirts on and treat sun cream as a form of PPE, in the same way as a hard hat or safety boots.

ISO9001 Passed With Flying Colours!

29 May 2024 Tammy Tidmarsh

Another year has passed and another Quality Management Systems Audit is under our belt!

We are very proud to announce we have attained our ISO9001:2015 accreditation for another year and we passed with flying colours!

At Long Rake Spar, we place a huge of emphasis on the continual improvement of our products, services and processes, and this recent accreditation proves how serious we are!

Supplying the UK and Overseas with decorative aggregates since 1867

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