COMMUNITY IMPACT

Our corporate social responsibility and environmental social governance, is concentrated across four areas of impact: business, community, environment and skills. All our policies and quality accreditations are designed, delivered and audited against these areas, as well as continual professional development. Our 30 plus years of working with businesses, local and national government departments, umbrella organisations, charities and representative bodies means we have an unparalleled ability to successfully contribute to the awareness and improvement of all these areas of Impact. Our mission, purpose and values are aligned to deliver the very best business support, with award-winning community impact.

Here are some of our current projects:

SAMS SCRAPSTORE

SAMS Scrapstore collects material that would otherwise be heading for landfill for community groups, individuals and schools to recycle and reuse, often for craft projects. With the help of donations from manufacturers and distribution companies, SAMS actively encourages environmental awareness of reusing materials. The Scrapstore operates on a membership basis with individuals, groups and schools able to join annually and then visit our Blackburn based store in person, to see for themselves what’s on offer. Our talented team are great at helping to come up with new ideas for recycled goods. From fabrics and ribbon, to cardboard cones and zips, there is a huge array of materials for your next project.

SAMS has created a network of businesses who are developing their Environmental Social Governance (ESG) objectives by donating to the scheme, reducing their carbon footprint in the process and minimising their disposal costs too, so improving profit and making them more ethical which gives them added advantages over their competitors.

FOOD IN OUR COMMUNITY

Food poverty and food waste are rife in our local communities, contributing to the ever-increasing struggle for families to make ends meet, communities to flourish and organisations to provide sustainable, high quality, nourishing meals. This fundamental need, not being met, has a direct detrimental impact on the health, wealth, education and social, creative ability of everyone in our communities.

A huge part of our Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Social Governance is the distribution of free, subsidised and funded food to local children and families, though various user friendly, non- judgemental, community-oriented activities.

We collect food from supermarkets daily, that would otherwise go to waste. We subscribe to subsidised, charitable food alliances, and partnerships that provide opportunities to access affordable food. We work with food manufacturers and distribution centres, to intercept any unwanted or surplus food and we bulk purchase high quality, nutritious food from wholesalers. All for distribution to local communities, every day.

COMMUNITY REPAINT

Protecting the Environment is an area of impact we have championed and supported for almost two decades. Preventing goods and materials going into landfill is foremost on our Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Social Governance agenda.

Community RePaint Blackburn: is part of a UK wide paint reuse network, sponsored by Dulux. We collect leftover, surplus to requirements and charitably donated paint from manufacturers, wholesalers, distributers and retailers. Then, from our Scrap Art Material Store (SAMS), we resell and redistribute it to benefit individuals, families, communities and charities, at a fraction of the cost of more traditional sources.

Our paint has helped local groups and charities repaint shared spaces and create colourful murals for the community and enabled people to redecorate their homes at low cost

Donated paint is prepared for sale by volunteers, who sort, clean, merchandise and make ready for display, all the donated paint we receive. It is a physically and mentally rewarding role, which a team of dedicated volunteers fulfil for us. Some of our volunteers have worked with us, on our community impact for 20 years, they are the driving force that allows us to continue to deliver this valuable service for our environment and communities. In a virtuous circle of our Environmental Community Impact, all the revenue Community Repaint generates, is reinvested into the ongoing operation of SAMS.

Do you have paint to donate?

VENUE & PREMISES HIRE

At our Blackburn headquarters with excellent access to the M65, we have a number of facilities for long or short term hire. There is ample free parking, WiFi throughout and refreshment packages available.

Meeting rooms to accommodate up to 30 people.
Large Main Hall suitable for multiple uses, from sports activities to conferences and events with fully furnished industrial kitchen included in the cost.
Café and kitchen area with seating for up to 40 people.
Self contained lock-up units, around 600sqft occasionally available.

VOLUNTEERS

Our Community Impact work takes a small army of volunteers to keep running. Whether it’s boxing food, organising art materials or merchandising paint, we rely on a dedicated group of volunteers to be able to provide these services to our local community. Volunteering is a great way of meeting new people, developing life skills and reducing isolation. If you’re interested in volunteering to help impact your community, we’d love to hear from you.