Woking-based homelessness charity York Road Project is one of the first finalists of the 2026 Selco Builders Warehouse Community Heroes initiative, recognising the charity’s dedication and positive impact on its local area.

In competition with more than 300 other applicants during April, the charity was selected by a panel including celebrity judge and TV tradesperson Rob Bent, who launched the campaign with Selco in March this year, after research found that almost half of those surveyed (48 per cent) said community spaces have disappeared in their neighbourhoods.

York Road Project will join seven more winners selected between May and November to face a public vote in December to decide the 2026 Community Heroes winner, who will receive £15,000 in cash.

Founded in 1995 as Woking Winter Watch, York Road Project supports more than 150 individuals each year. With one in every 250 Woking residents seeking help in the past two years, demand on its services has grown steadily.

York Road Project has helped thousands of homeless people find a place to call home. It provides both short and long-term accommodation, as well as supporting individuals through addiction, mental health and employment needs to address underlying struggles that led to their homelessness.

In 2025, the York Road Project found it would be faced with the loss of its main building, a 10-bed shelter that had provided short-term and emergency accommodation for its clients for nearly 30 years. The charity was able to negotiate ownership of the building, ensuring its legacy could continue.

Thanks to the win, York Road Project has secured £2,000 to spend in its local Selco Builders Warehouse store. This funding will be used to renovate its main building by transforming it into a high-quality shelter, allowing York Road Project to continue providing refuge and support for those experiencing homelessness in and around Woking.

Cherisse Dealtry, chief executive at York Road Project, said: “We are incredibly proud and grateful to be selected as April’s Community Heroes winner.

“This support from Selco will make a real difference to the people we work with, helping us to continue providing vital services and support within our community at York Road Project.”

Now in its sixth year – and with a bigger prize fund than ever before at £62,000 – the Selco Community Heroes initiative is designed to benefit small community projects that are building brighter futures for their local areas.

Simon Humpage, head of multichannel marketing at Selco Builders Warehouse, said: “Community Heroes is all about recognising organisations that make a real difference to local people, and York Road Project embodies exactly what the campaign stands for.

“The impact they have for those experiencing homelessness in Woking is life-changing, and we’re proud that Selco can help support the vital work they do for the community.”

Local charities and community projects are encouraged to find out more about Community Heroes and can apply here: https://www.selcobw.com/info/selco-community-heroes