UK Flooring Direct, which employs around 200 people across sites in Hinckley and Coventry, has developed a new Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV) programme that will see every member of the team given a fully-paid day to offer their services to a charity or good cause.

The company, the UK’s leading online retailer for wood and laminate flooring, has partnered with four organisations across the Coventry, Warwickshire and Leicestershire area to offer its team options for their day of volunteering.

They include the RSPCA Coventry and District Branch, Hinckley Homeless Group, Shine A Light (a Coventry-based charity that supports families with children affected by cancer), and Warwickshire-based Make Good Grow.

Make Good Grow was founded two years ago as a social enterprise and offers a matching service between businesses and individuals who want to volunteer and good causes that need support.

It means the individual can offer their own skillset to charity or good cause, from building a website to accountancy services and Make Good Grow already has 170 organisations signed up and looking for support.

Faye Summers, UK Flooring Direct’s HR Director, said the company wanted to give staff options when volunteering but they were also open to finding good causes of their own to support.

She said: “UK Flooring Direct has always prided itself on being a positive contributor to the local economy and to the local community and our new ESV programme really builds on that.

“Every member of our team will be given a fully paid day where they can go and volunteer and make a difference to a good cause. 

“It’s a great way to engage the team and the feedback we’ve had has been really positive, particularly at a time when we know things are tough for a lot of people. The UK Flooring Direct team wants to help make a difference.

“There is strong evidence that volunteering as team helps to boost morale and wellbeing, which is another really positive reason for undertaking this ESV programme.

“We’ve linked up with four local organisations to offer some initial options to the team but we also know that many will have charities and good causes that are close to their own hearts and may choose to offer their support in that direction.

“We are thrilled to launch and can’t wait to see the great work get started.” 

Rob Langley-Swain, of Make Good Grow, said: “It’s great to be partnering with UK Flooring Direct in this way. 

“We’ve seen all of the exciting news coming out of the business over the past couple of years so we’re really pleased to have them on board as a partner.

“Being a volunteer and utilising your professional skills is so impactful to good causes and that’s where we come in. We can match people with organisations that need those skills for a certain piece of work or project.

“It’s a great way to give back.”