Kingfisher PLC Partnership
Kingfisher PLC is an international home improvement company with over 1,900 stores, supported by a team of over 78,000 colleagues. They operate in eight countries across Europe under retail banners including Screwfix, B&Q, Castorama, Brico Dépôt, TradePoint and Koçtaş. Kingfisher PLC, offers home improvement products and services to consumers and trade professionals who shop in their stores and via their e-commerce channels.
Habitat for Humanity Great Britain and Kingfisher PLC have partnered to address the UK’s housing crisis. This two-year partnership focuses on improving housing conditions by combining Kingfisher’s expertise in home improvement with Habitat for Humanity’s commitment to providing safe, affordable, and sustainable housing. Kingfisher will support two key programmes aimed at transforming unused spaces and providing essential furniture for those in need.
The UK is facing a significant housing crisis, with 117,450 households in temporary accommodation as of March 2024. Many people are living in substandard conditions or without essential furniture, which has a profound impact on their well-being.
This partnership with Kingfisher will support two key initiatives aimed at improving housing conditions:
- Empty Spaces to Homes: This programme converts vacant buildings into affordable housing for vulnerable groups, including care leavers and survivors of domestic abuse. By repurposing empty buildings, we are providing much-needed homes for those at risk of homelessness.
- Housing to Home: This initiative focuses on providing affordable, upcycled furniture to households that struggle to afford essential items. Simple items like beds and tables can make a significant difference to people’s health, stability, and overall quality of life, particularly for children.
In Barking and Dagenham, the Empty Spaces to Homes project has already seen success. Disused spaces were transformed into homes for young care leavers like John and Ahmed. John, an asylum seeker from Eritrea, and Ahmed, also an asylum seeker, both found stability and hope in their new home. John said, “When I first saw the house, I loved it,” while Ahmed added, “Having this place will sustain me for the future.”
Kingfisher’s involvement goes beyond funding. Their home improvement expertise is integral to ensuring these spaces are transformed into homes that provide stability and opportunity.
Circular Economy in Action
Kingfisher’s commitment to sustainability aligns with circular economy principles. Through projects such as Empty Spaces to Homes, Kingfisher contributes to reducing waste and carbon emissions, offering a more sustainable approach to housing development.
Transformative Workshops
Kingfisher’s UK colleagues will play a key role in supporting this partnership by volunteering in various ways. Staff in London, Southampton and Yeovil will get hands-on by participating in upcycling furniture, painting tiles, and crafting lampshades that will be used in Habitat’s programmes. These activities allow Kingfisher employees to directly contribute to improving housing conditions and promoting sustainability in their local communities.
Partnering with Habitat for Humanity gives us another opportunity to live our purpose: Better homes. Better lives. For everyone. Our colleagues are looking forward to contributing to our local communities, putting their DIY skills to the test, and ultimately making a meaningful and tangible impact to improving housing over the next two years.
Habitat for Humanity is thrilled to have been chosen as Kingfisher’s UK Charity partner. The UK is experiencing a housing crisis that affects all of us, especially the most vulnerable. The last few years have highlighted the critical importance of housing and the role it plays in holding us together as a society. With Kingfisher’s skills and expertise to help us, we will continue to provide better housing for the most vulnerable and address the social housing crisis in the UK.
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