Toolstation, one of Britain’s fastest-growing suppliers of tools, accessories and building supplies, has joined forces with its sister company, Travis Perkins, the UK’s largest distributor of materials to the construction sector, and Places for People, the UK’s leading social enterprise, to support Volunteer It Yourself (VIY) and help transform the Bilal Sports Centre in Harehills, Leeds. The centre was founded by a local community member Kamran Khan to help provide young people in the local community with a safe and welcoming space to exercise and develop their skills.
Toolstation, Travis Perkins, Places for People and VIY have come together to breathe new life into the sports centre by undertaking a major refurbishment of the space. The ambitious project, which was carried out over three weeks, included redecorating, creating a new changing room, building extra storage shelving and strengthening dividing walls. The project has also been match-funded by Sport England as part of their national partnership with VIY to refurbish active community spaces.
This not-for profit initiative is helping more young people learn DIY skills and to consider a career in the construction and building industry, whilst renovating a space they use and benefit from. Toolstation is funding and helping the volunteers gain City & Guilds qualifications as part of its ongoing partnership with VIY. The project saw 35 young volunteers between the ages of 14 to 18 from East Leeds Specialist Learning Centre and Broomfield School, all of whom are supported with special educational needs, collectively spend 15 days working on the project, with learners being awarded a City & Guilds Entry Level 3 accreditation in skills like Carpentry, Painting and Decorating and Health and Safety.
Over the course of three weeks, colleagues from social enterprise Places for People, volunteered to help redecorate the centre, while Dulux provided the volunteers with paint as part of their national support for VIY.
Greg Richardson, head of marketing at Toolstation said: “At Toolstation and Travis Perkins plc, we believe that supporting the community involves creating positive change where it’s needed most. Partnering with VIY means we can help improve living conditions and share valuable skills with the young volunteers from the local area. We believe that this project will encourage young people to develop confidence and learn practical trade and building skills and to consider a career in the trade. We’re looking forward to supporting more projects over the coming months by supplying materials, volunteering and working collaboratively with the Group businesses.”
Marcus Hulme, director of places impact at Places for People, said: “We are always looking for new ways to support people into work and address the skills shortage being felt across the industry. That’s why we’re delighted to be able to continue our support for VIY as they look at ways to engage the next generation of skilled professionals. Being so present within one of our biggest communities of Harehills, we have heard first-hand the positive impact that the centre is having on the community. Partnering with like-minded organisations and supporting projects like this allows us to deliver what matters for our communities, and hopefully inspires young people to join the industry.”
This partnership between Travis Perkins, Toolstation, Places for People and VIY is a testament to their shared commitment to making a lasting impact on the community, and boosting skills and work-readiness for young people not in education, training or employment.
Toolstation and Travis Perkins plc plan on supporting a number of other VIY projects throughout 2024.
