Visitors to a nature-based veterans’ charity will receive a smarter welcome in the future after a donation by a Hull-based flooring retailer.
The Green Task Force, which is part of the Plant A Tree Today (PATT) Foundation, has taken over a derelict site in Hull and is currently converting it into a new headquarters helped by a donation of laminate flooring from Flooring Superstore, which has a store on the city’s Stoneferry Trade Park.
The flooring, worth over £500, has been fitted in the reception area of the new building at Sandhills Nurseries, which is being used to help veterans, particularly those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The charity has 30 veterans on its books who they provide therapy for, as well as training which can aid them to find employment. Veterans also help to carrying out various projects, including tree cultivation and planting, hedge laying, fencing and tough horticultural tasks such as removal of invasive species.
“We firmly believe that people need a hand up, not a hand-out and evidence shows that working with nature is beneficial to health and wellness,” says Dr Andrew Steel, Founder of The PATT Foundation.
“The building had been empty for four years and the floor tiles were well worn, falling apart and coming loose, so the donation from Flooring Superstore is really appreciated and has made such a positive difference.”
Flooring Superstore Regional Manager Greig Anderson said: “We opened our store in Hull in April last year and as part of our corporate social responsibility programme we reached out to local organisations to see if they would benefit from donations of flooring.
“This particular donation couldn’t have been any more perfect for us because we are long-standing supporters of another veterans’ charity, The Woodland Warrior Programme, and we are also committed to protecting the environment, having planted over 3.5 million trees, removed over one million bottles from the ocean and protected over 25,000 acres of rainforest.
“The Latte Oak laminate flooring the charity chose is ideal for a busy reception area where there is a lot of footfall because it is hard-wearing, durable and easy to maintain.”