Most people fly to Barcelona, a great destination for a city break. Roundhay-based electrical engineering contractors Parsons Technical Services will be making their way down in a clapped-out BMW worth £250 – and they’re hoping to raise £3,500 for charity along the way.

They’re taking part in the Barcelona Banger Rally, which is now in its eighth year. Seventy teams will meet in Calais on 23^rd May, aiming to arrive in Barcelona three days later after encountering various challenges along the way, not least of which is to make sure their elderly cars get them to their destination without breaking down.

As it’s a banger rally, cars must cost a maximum of £250. PTS have found a BMW – dubbed the ‘PTS Express’ – which has been specially decorated by local artist Joanna Harland, and the team will be dressing as superheroes for the challenge.

Alex Parsons, Director of Parsons Technical Services, says, “As a company new to the Roundhay area we wanted to support a local charity and make a difference in the local community.” They’ll be fundraising for St Gemma’s Hospice, a cause close to Alex’s heart, and they’re being sponsored Harrogate-based timber window renovation company Ventrolla.

Parsons Technical Services are electrical engineers and contractors working primarily in the industrial and commercial sectors – their technical skills and commitment to a job well done mean they’ll be overcoming any obstacles with ease as they head for Spain this May.

To donate, click on this link: http://bit.ly/11bzZR1

It’s been a turbulent year for the housing market with prices flat lining or falling, much to the misery of homeowners wanting to sell. Better mortgage deals and a rise in mortgage approvals have failed to give the market the kick start it really needs.

This has affected certain parts of the country more than others, which has been summarised by MSN as the ‘UK property winners and losers 2012’.

Based on data from property website Zoopla, let’s start with the bad news first.

The three worst hit towns include Egham in Surrey (-8%), Dalton-In-Furness in Cumbria (-9.7%) and rolling in at an unfortunate first place is Houghton Le Spring in County Durham. Homeowners here have experienced a 11.6% decline in just 12 months, which means you could get your hands on a two-bedroom semi-detached for £124,995 – what a steal!

But it’s not all doom and gloom in other parts of the country. The three towns that got to enjoy a welcome rise in house prices was Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire (+10.8%), Malvern in Worcestershire (+10.9%) and top of the list is Cirencester in Gloucester. The market town’s properties rose by more than 11%, resulting in an average value of £351,356.

And there’s even more good news, as the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors have predicted that house sales are set to climb in 2013 to their highest level since the market crashed in 2007.

If you’re going through the process of selling your period home or intend to, it may be worth considering renovating your timber sash windows and doors. Using the restoration expertVentrolla and its unique perimeter sealing system can add extra value and a selling feature that is becoming more recognised by estate agents and potential buyers.

If you’d like to find out more, just give our friendly advisors a call for free on 0800 0277 454 or clickwww.ventrolla.co.uk to arrange a FREE no-obligation survey. They will be more than happy to talk through the issue and discuss the options available.

Have you noticed the weather starting to take a turn for the better, the night’s drawing out, and temperatures rising too? We have at Ventrollaand we’ve even started to think that spring has finally sprung!

We all love our changing seasons, not least because we are a nation obsessed by the weather. But with climate change always making the headlines, it is often a worry how long our seasons will continue to change.

As timber window renovation specialists, we are constantly promoting the importance of energy efficiency, actively demonstrating how our products can help with environmental issues and help to create a sustainable future.

Therefore we are getting behind the biggest national awareness campaign in Britain, ‘Climate Week’ taking place this week.

The campaign, which has been running since Monday 4th March and ends on Sunday 10th March, celebrates ways in which to protect our planet. This is done through a host of activities taking place throughout the week, in schools to local businesses, charities to councils.

These events are all aimed to showcase practical solutions to combat climate change, share ideas, show what has already been achieved in workplaces and communities across Britain and encourage others to do the same.

As an example to showcase our work, the unique Ventrolla Perimeter Sealing System (VPSS)is the ideal product to improve the energy efficiency, and therefore environmental-friendliness, ofdraughty or rattling timber sash windows.

By installing this system, a window’s energy efficiency rating is improved up to 30%, which significantly reduces energy bills.

Our commitment to combating climate change is also apparent from our recent Green Deal accreditation, being the only draught-proofing installer under the government’s flagship scheme.

So, to do your bit to help Britain’s biggest ever environmental campaign, take a look at the Climate Week website for more details on events near you. Likewise, if you would like more information onVentrolla’s energy efficient solutions, speak to our friendly advisors on 0800 0277 454 or visit our website.

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