As part of its commitment to helping local communities tackle quality of living issues, Forbo Flooring Systems has been donating end of life Tessera carpet tiles to Community and Business Partners (CBP) for use in a range of projects.
A not-for-profit organisation, CBP was established over thirty years ago to aid businesses and communities throughout Lancashire. Today, CBP leverages its global reach and extensive industry connections to offer business support services through their membership and mentoring programmes. Their roster of over 100 mentors boasts diverse experience across various sectors, positively impacting businesses in Lancashire and internationally. The surplus generated from the business support services directly contributes to their food, environmental, and upskilling projects. The goal of these projects is to enhance the daily lives of individuals within their local communities.
To support the local community, many businesses will donate surplus stock to CBP to be sold at its shop, SAMS Scrapstore. Having been supporting SAMS (Scrap Art Material Store) for over 15 years, Forbo is one such business, with its Tessera carpet tiles, originally manufactured at the nearby Bamber Bridge site, being sold at the store and unwanted marketing samples being donated for arts materials.
Victoria Braithwaite, community support & development manager at CBP, said: “We’ve recently been collecting end-of-life carpet tiles from Forbo, which we then display in our SAMS Scrapstore. As well as saving the flooring from going to landfill, it also means that any one of the hundreds of voluntary organisations and individuals we work with can come into the store and purchase the flooring, at a more affordable price point. This is something many of the manufacturers we work with choose to do, with their products being sold through the SAMS Scrapstore back into our local community.
“Community projects like this are really important to help those in need. Our store is based in a very deprived area of Blackburn with Darwen, meaning some residents may struggle (through no fault of their own) to afford brand-new flooring. The flooring available in our SAMS Scrapstore provides a far more affordable option to them.”
A vital part of the work carried out by CBP is the impact it has on local people, as Victoria explained: “Thanks to the generous donations made by Forbo, we have been able to help members of our local community improve their living conditions. For example, one of the most recent donations we received went to a single mother, who wished to put new flooring down in her new-born child’s bedroom.
“Forbo also helped us personally when we were looking to transform an empty unit into a new community clothing shop. Based at our headquarters in Blackburn, Blossoms at CBP is aiming to reach out to those struggling as a result of the cost-of-living crisis, with the flooring Forbo provided perfect for the project.
“We’re thrilled to have Forbo join us as a member. Their donations have been vital in assisting members of our community and we are sure they will be a valuable asset moving forwards.”
By working alongside organisations such as CBP, Forbo is not only further prolonging the service life of its floorcoverings but also demonstrating its commitment to the environment and local communities.
www.forbo.com/flooring/en-uk/sustainability/going-round/pnjbgb
