MKM Building Supplies (MKM), the UK’s proper independent builders’ merchant has announced the launch of the MKM Foundation, a new charitable foundation created to strengthen the business’s long-standing commitment to local communities across the UK.
The MKM Foundation will provide a more joined-up way to support national and local causes, while still giving branches the freedom to fundraise, donate and volunteer in ways that matter most to their local communities.
In its first year, the MKM Foundation will support three chosen charities, alongside the hundreds of community initiatives already led by MKM branches nationwide. The organisations supported in the Foundation’s first year are Macmillan Cancer Support, Pancreatic Cancer UK and Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
The charities were selected through a nomination and voting process involving MKM colleagues and the families of much-loved team members who have sadly passed away in recent years. Families were invited to put forward charities, creating a shortlist of six organisations. MKM colleagues across the business were then asked to vote, with the three receiving the most votes becoming the Foundation’s first national charity partners.
Alongside its UK-wide charity partnerships, the MKM Foundation will also provide funding to support smaller, local causes, ensuring branches can continue to back the initiatives that matter most in their own communities.
The launch of the Foundation comes as MKM celebrates its 30th year, marking three decades of growth built on people, relationships and doing the right thing.
Over the past 30 years, MKM branches have contributed more than £5 million through fundraising, donations and sponsorships, supporting local causes and grassroots initiatives across the UK. MKM teams also back hundreds of community sports clubs spanning more than 50 different sports, while playing an active role in the communities where their colleagues and customers live and work.
The MKM Foundation will work in partnership with the HEY Smile Foundation, which will provide independent administration and governance, ensuring donations are managed responsibly and reach the causes they are intended to support.
Branches will continue to lead fundraising, volunteering and sponsorship activities locally, with the Smile Foundation supporting the management of cash and online donations. Over time, the MKM Foundation will also introduce new projects and initiatives for colleagues, customers, suppliers and communities to get involved in.
Kate Tinsley, CEO of MKM, said: “Community has always been at the heart of MKM. Our branches operate independently and are firmly rooted in the places they serve, and our teams care passionately about making a difference locally.
“The MKM Foundation allows us to honour the colleagues we’ve lost in recent years and create something good in their memory. At the same time, it gives us a way to make an even bigger impact in our communities by bringing our efforts together, while staying true to what makes MKM special.
“As we mark 30 years of MKM, launching the Foundation feels like a fitting way to look forward – doing more of what we’ve always believed in, but on a bigger scale.”
MKM founder David Kilburn CBE added: “From the very beginning, MKM has been about people, relationships and doing the right thing. Supporting the communities around our branches has always been incredibly important to us.
The MKM Foundation builds on that spirit, creating a lasting legacy that will continue to make a difference for many years to come.”
David was awarded a CBE in 2024 for his services to the construction industry and his charitable work, recognising a career spanning more than 60 years and his role in building MKM into a £1 billion business with a strong community focus.
The MKM Foundation is overseen by a dedicated Foundation Committee made up of branch and central support staff from across the business, bringing together long‑serving team members with a deep understanding of MKM’s culture and communities.
To mark the launch, members of MKM’s Central Support management team have set themselves an ambitious fundraising challenge in March, aiming to collectively walk or run 2,000 kilometres and raise £10,000 for the Foundation’s chosen charities. Supporters can follow their progress and donate via their fundraising page.
The Foundation will begin external activity from March, with further announcements planned as projects and fundraising initiatives get underway.
More information about the MKM Foundation can be found at https://mkm.com/sustainability/mkm-foundation