Supplying and sponsoring 2026 BALI Award Winners

In our 30th anniversary year, we return as BALI Award Category sponsors in 2026.

The winners have been announced and we extend our congratulations to the award-winning projects in our Category as Sponsors:

Winners Hard Landscaping Construction (Non-Domestic) over £500K

• Wright Landscapes for Waterhouse Gardens
• Elite Landscapes Ltd for The Gaumont
• The TP Group for Life & Mind Building, The University of Oxford – Central Amphitheatre & Ground Floor Plaza
• Blakedown Landscapes for The Queen Elizabeth II Garden

30 years of MCM and 50 years of BALI Landscape Awards

2026 marks a landmark year for both of us: MCM’s 30th and BALI’s 50th anniversaries. Two organisations that have grown alongside the industry, sharing the same values: Supporting landscape professionals at every level. For MCM, we’ve grown over 30 years to a £10M+ business, but are still focused on offering a rapid, informed response; sensible and flexible solutions; new product blends and professional expert support for all of our customers. And that’s from that first email or question to the last load or follow-up.

Celebrating milestones together

The best reward in this anniversary year is to celebrate these milestones together at the BALI Awards, in the company of the very best of our sector.

The BALI Awards bring together the full landscape supply chain – leading contractors, designers, suppliers and educators – and as a regular Category Sponsor we sit at the heart of that community. Being visible alongside such high-calibre work reinforces who we are and what we stand for.

Supporting local community groups in Surrey

MCM will be proud sponsors of the Wandgas Under 10s Girls Football team for the 2026/2027 season.

Wandgas Football Club, part of the Wandgas Sports and Social Club family, is an FA community club for boys, girls, men and women of all ages. The youth teams play in the Surrey Youth League.

This year, MCM have “cemented” their support as Shirt and Promotional Sponsors. A team close to our own MCM team’s heart (=one very proud grandad!), Wandgas will start their season with a football gala at the end of August 2026.

Their home, away and training kits will all display MCM’s brand with pride and we have also supplied a gazebo for the Club to use at events and promotional days.

It is very much part of MCM’s ethos to support local business and community initiatives such as this. We will be following the team’s progress and results closely and wish local business owner and U10s Manager Craig Williams and his team the best of luck for the season.

Sourcing soils and best practice in landscape

At this year’s SoilsCon 2026, hosted and organised by TOHA, the MCM soils team will be showcasing their soil range, soil testing and associated services. The event on 1 October and now in its seventh year, is a CPD conference driven by Tim O’Hare and his soil and landscape consultancy team. 

A host of leading industry experts will include key speakers from the Green Roof Organisation (of which MCM are members), Robert Bray Associates and Frosts Landscapes). The event content will cover topics and case studies across the soil spectrum from soil health to SuDS to urban tree planting.

Excellence at Landscape Awards 2025

MCM, represented by Managing Director Shazna Ali-Matthias took to the stage once more as Sponsors of the Hard Landscaping (+£500K) category at the 2025 BALI National Landscape Awards. The Principal Winner was announced at the Awards event on Friday 5 December 2025 at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel in front of almost 1000 fellow landscaping devotees from every part of the sector.

PRINCIPAL WINNER: Hard Landscaping (Non-Domestic) +£500K Category 2025: Elite Landscapes for Woolwich High Street

Excellence at Landscape Awards 2024

MCM return in 2024 as Sponsors of the Commercial Hard Landscaping (+£500K) category. Announced this morning (3 September 2024), we would like to extend our congratulations to all Award Winners, especially in our own category:

Hard Landscaping (Non-Domestic) +£500K Category 2024

• Elite Landscapes for Bow Green Marketing Suite
• Wright Landscapes for Rochdale Town Hall

In preparation for some of our meetings and events with customers and specifiers this season and into 2025, MCM have updated their soils range and published their new MCM soils leaflet.

A handy reminder of some of the headline soils we supply, the leaflet includes British Standard topsoil and subsoil, independently tested by soil scientists as well as some of the specialist blends we can source and supply.

We can blend specialist soils for bioretention, rootzone and specific porosity and pH levels – all fully certified.

NEW Fyto Lightweight and Fyto Soil Blends

Exclusively from MCM, we are launching our new lightweight topsoil for optimised roof and podium landscapes. Coming in 2025, we’ll be adding other Fyto Soil Blends to the range for healthier, more hydrated planting and rootzones.

Get in touch with the MCM Technical Team to find out more and explore the specialist blend for your next landscape, construction or infrastructure project.

Detailing the headline aggregates in the 2025 MCM range, the new MCM aggregates leaflet can be sampled at any of the events we attend.

The A5 leaflet can be downloaded alongside all of our other supportive literature reminder of some of the headline soils we supply, the leaflet includes Construction, Fill, Lightweight and Decorative Aggregates.

Specialist aggregates for SuDs, highways and podiums

Alongside the new MCM Soils Range, the range features Class C Series 600 aggregates for highway works, Network Rail approved track ballast, self binding gravel and Integrated Bottom Ash aggregates, as well as lightweight expanded clay and ready-mix concrete.

Nationwide aggregates supply in bagged or loose volumes

Get in touch with the MCM Technical Team to find out more and explore aggregates options for your next landscape, construction or infrastructure project.

MCM stands for Matthias Construction Materials

…but it’s much much more than that

As we approach our 30th Year Anniversary, it is worth highlighting where we have come from, how we started and why we continue to be a leading force in the source and supply of construction and landscape materials for UK build,  regeneration and infrastructure projects.

Paying it forward and supporting the next generation of landscape professionals, MCM have become a BALI Chalk Fund Gold Champion in 2025.

Joining the Gold Champion ranks alongside other trailblazing contractors and supporters, MCM are the first specialist soils and aggregates supplier to join the Champions.

Shazna Ali, Managing Director, said of her wish to support the Fund and future of the sector in this way:

“Nurturing, guiding, supporting; it’s what we do – and how the industry can thrive. Being a BALI Chalk Fund Champion allows us to pay it forward as a supplier, supporting future landscape professionals.”

Industry, Community and Solidarity

We have continued our Award Category Sponsorship with British Association of Landscape Industries alongside our accredited member status. 2025 has seen our first year as Green Roof Organisation (GRO) accredited suppliers, too.

Show your support

If you would also like to show your support for the future of UK landscaping, it is easy to become a BALI Chalk Champion, donate or start your own fundraiser – choose the level of your support here and start giving back for the greater good of a strong landscaping sector for the future. 

The sales team at MCM, just like our soils, are a unique blend. Whilst some offer years of experience in the industry, others have a broader spectrum of skills from outside of construction, and some are bringing their newly acquired technical skills and perspectives to the table.

All of them have one thing in common: A hunger for improvement; whether that is seeking out new suppliers and hauliers or developing new products and revenue streams.

To do that, they regularly step out of their usual office bases and head to site, reviewing suppliers and practices and checking in with clients as their projects progress. 

Supplier Assessment and Client Updates

Last week (30 January 2025), the sales team travelled to catch up with one of our bagging and soil partners in Middlesex. Isaac and Omar, two of our newest recruits, were keeping up with developments to ensure they are on their top game for clients across the landscape, construction and infrastructure sectors.

After discussing plans for soils with our supplier, they headed off to a nearby utilities project where works have been ongoing for over 12 months and will continue into the medium-term future.

Feeding back to the rest of the team, both found the day useful and informative. It gave them a more in-depth perspective on their supply chain as well as a greater depth of understanding on the importance of meeting important customer challenges.

CPD and accreditations

These types of visits are integral to our commitment to Continuous Professional Development and are part of ongoing accreditations for ConstructionLine and ISO9001.

MCM, as suppliers of specialist and lightweight substrates for green roofs and podium landscapes, has joined The Green Roof Organisation (GRO).  The not-for-profit trade association represents the UK’s green, blue and biosolar roofing industries and its supply chain.

Joining the GRO, MCM hopes to help promote and raise awareness of the importance of green roofs, both in terms of construction, product choice and technical specification.

Soils for Roof Gardens, Green Roofs and Podium Landscapes

Supplying landscape contractors who have delivered some of the country’s most prestigious roof garden and podium landscape builds, MCM source and supply bagged material – ideal for load-bearing sites and restricted access deliveries – and loose in volume.

The GRO is also supported by the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI), of which MCM is an Accredited Member, alongside other specialist roofing associations.

Green Roof Use and The Right Soil Products

As Supplier Members, MCM will engage directly on any of the technical and marketing working groups within the GRO’s remit, as jointly we look to increase green roof use and the development of products, processes and practices to ensure the sector continues to develop in a professional direction.

To find out more about green roof substrates and lightweight soils, explore the MCM product pages. To find out more about The GRO, visit the GRO website.

There are important changes governing the handling of waste wood within construction and demolition.  Guidelines as to how businesses should know categorise and consider wood within their construction waste management processes have been published by the Wood Recyclers Association.

Potentially hazardous waste wood

From 1 September 2023, potentially hazardous waste wood from ‘pre-2007 buildings’, will need to be tested to establish its classification as hazardous waste or non-hazardous waste.

The Environment Agency (EA) confirmed that the previously-applicable Regulatory Position Statement (RPS) 250 is withdrawn from 1 September 2023. From this date, any business customers disposing of any loads containing wood will need to declare the wood content and have this tested before safe and correct disposal can be arranged. 

The revised definitions are included in the Wood Recycler’s Association’s (WRA) latest guidelines.

Grading, Support and Disposal

MCM can help, advise on and arrange the correct procedural removal depending on grade and category. Contact us or call 0330 1281030 today.

Crucial in our development and growth as both a successful business and valued local employer, MCM are currently advertising for three new sales roles and have also been accredited as a Living Wage Employer by the Living Wage Foundation.

The Living Wage commitment ensures that people working receive a higher minimum wage than the Government minimum for those over 23. This real living wage is calculated using the cost of living as a key factor – so much more reflective of real life and real people.

The Real Living Wage

According to the Living Wage Foundation, 1 in 8 employees are paid below the real Living Wage. Joining the 14,000 accredited Living Wage Employers and only 89 construction companies in London and the South East, MCM are making an important statement and ongoing commitment to each and every employee.

Softening the impact

Managing Director Shazna Ali said: 

“This is such an important accreditation for an employee, both to acknowledge and promote. Our workforce is growing, and we need to support current and new employees realistically, fairly and justly.  The cost of living crisis has had such a huge impact, so we are keen to offer support where it matters most.”

Creating real change

MCM joins a growing number of small to medium-sized businesses in the region and industry, as well as key construction players including Maylim, LendLease, Wates and Frosts Landscapes.

Repurposing elements from previous RHS Chelsea Show Gardens since 2010 – steel fins into information boards; scaffold boards and timber reused – this year’s Cityscapes London garden “RHS Chelsea Repurposed” will be broken down, reused and relocated in a number of gardens benefitting other people and wildlife.

The drought-tolerant grasses and locally sourced wildflowers were planted in Type 1 crushed concrete and sand, supplied in bags by MCM and salvaged from demolished buildings and construction waste.

MCM worked with the build team at Gardenlink, supplying the materials to meet the design brief of Darryl Moore.

Award-winning Gardens at Chelsea

MCM are regular suppliers of materials beneath the surfaces at recent RHS Chelsea Flower Shows, returning in 2024 after recent successes with Landform Consultants in two award-winning gardens in 2023.

Following our involvement at recent RHS Chelsea shows, supplying topsoils and aggregates to prestigious landscapes, this week we have been supplying bagged material for the RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival.  With many of the garden builds well underway, our bagged deliveries were scheduled closely and with access and timing of high importance.

Working with the “Four Season Sanctuary” organiser Fran Handley, the garden, featured in the Get Started Gardens category,  has been designed by Tim Jennings. Tim is a Cambridgeshire based designer who is renowned for his outdoor space creation from small courtyards to the grandest homes and estates.

Returning as Category Sponsors at the BALI National Landscape Awards 2023, MCM celebrated UK landscape excellence with friends, colleagues and customers on Friday 1 December in London.

Presenting the award this year, and representing the next generation of MCM and the industry, Omar Matthias, Commercial Coordinator, stepped up and celebrated on stage with the Principal Award Winners Maylim, for their stunning scheme at Regent’s Place Phase Two.

You can view the full list of winners on the BALI Award website.