Dulux has celebrated the completion of its 200th ‘Let’s Colour’ community project with social enterprise Volunteer It Yourself.
To mark the occasion, Dulux’s Senior Leadership Group joined forces with VIY as part of the landmark community project to revitalise Winchmore Hill Sports Club and create safe, inclusive and welcoming changing rooms to grow its women and girls’ football teams.
To further build on the milestone, AkzoNobel, Dulux’s parent company, has launched a new ‘Volunteering Through Partnership’ initiative which encourages colleagues from across the business to volunteer their time at least once per year. The concept not only gives colleagues the time to volunteer in their teams, but also provides the materials needed to support community projects across the UK “in order to build stronger, more resilient communities by helping to add colour to people’s lives.”
VIY has been working with Dulux for over four years through the leading paint brand’s ‘Let’s Colour’ initiative which is “dedicated to bringing communities together through the power of paint” by working closely with partner organisations. Since July 2020, this partnership is said to have positively impacted over 120,000 lives through the transformation of (now) 200+ community spaces using donated Dulux Trade paint.
These projects have successfully supported and developed over 3,000 young people aged 14-24 directly through taking part. They have also helped train over 2,360 young people in painting and decorating, including over 2,000 City & Guilds accreditations earned, with over half of these in painting and decorating.
The company is proud of this tremendous achievement, especially in an industry that is facing several challenges such as severe construction skills shortage, and an ageing population of decorators, many of whom are nearing retirement. And with the total number of workers over 60 increasing more than any other age, the construction industry is at risk of losing vital knowledge and skills.
According to a report by the Construction Skills Network, the sector needs 225,000 new construction workers by 2027 to keep up with growing demand with 83% of businesses currently feeling the strain from a lack of skilled workers. However, there are many as 140,000 construction and trade vacancies in the UK, providing significant opportunity for those looking to join the workforce.
Dulux contends that it is therefore vital to provide the next generation of talent with the right tools to enter the industry and safeguard its future.
Through the Dulux-VIY partnership, the young people mentored on these projects – who are often not in employment, education or training – are connected to apprenticeship opportunities within painting contractors and then are offered further support at the Dulux Academy training facilities.
The 200th ‘Let’s Colour’ project with VIY took place on Wednesday, 16th October 2024 at Winchmore Hill Youth Football Club in Enfield, North London. This involved 40 AkzoNobel volunteers and VIY mentors to breathe new life into the club by giving it a new coat of paint, donated by Dulux, and the positive impact left by the project aims to drive inclusion – particularly female and disabled participation – by improving the eight changing facilities on site.
The project also included 16 young people volunteering who are all at risk of disengagement and were referred from VIY’s local youth partners including ESOL students from ELATT college and the Boxing Academy, an alternative provision for young people. 75% of the young volunteers achieved a City & Guilds Entry Level 3 accreditation in painting and decorating.
Peter Howard, Sustainability and CSR Lead at AkzoNobel, commented: “We are incredibly proud to have partnered nationally with Volunteer It Yourself for the past four years, supporting not only hundreds of incredible community transformation projects but also training thousands of young people in construction skills. It has been inspiring to see the amazing work we have achieved together, now reaching our 200th community project- all of which leave communities with a lasting colourful legacy.
“Over this time, we’ve helped to support thousands of young people improve their confidence and build their trade skills. With the construction industry’s current growth trajectory, we know that it is crucial to fill the skills gap – and this is just one of the ways in which we are working towards protecting our industry’s bright future. This is a shining example of how collaboration with brilliant partners can harness the power of paint and colour, and I look forward to continuing to work together with VIY to bring colour into people’s lives and communities in the years to come.”
Hannah Denny, Communications and Partnerships Manager at Volunteer It Yourself, added: “We know how important it is to give opportunities to young people who otherwise feel like they may not have them. Through equipping them the tools for success, we are proud to make a difference in thousands of people’s lives.
“Offering vocational training to young people is vital to creating a stronger future for the painting and decorating industry as we look to build the new generation of talent.”
She added: “We would also like to extend our gratitude to the funders of this project, without whom this could not have happened: the Barclays Community Football Fund, whose donation was match-funded by Sport England, in recognition of using sport and football as a vehicle to teach life skills to young people.”
Outlining the positive impact of the wider initiative, Anthony, a VIY Learner aged 22 at Gabalfa Youth and Community Centre, commented: “I’m so grateful for the opportunity with VIY – I’ve never felt purpose like this before in my life. I was unsure what I wanted to do, I was considering signing up to the Army, but I didn’t really want to leave my family in Cardiff.
“Construction is always something I’ve wanted to get into, but I’ve always struggled to gain work experience. As soon as I heard about the VIY project through my local JobCentre, I headed down the very next day. This project has been the first step for me to consider a role in the trade – and now I’ve been supported by VIY into my decorating apprenticeship with V&C (SW) Limited in Cardiff, which I’m absolutely loving.”
VIY is dedicated to helping young people learn construction skills whilst helping to renovate vital community facilities through combining DIY with volunteering. It challenges young people aged 14-24 to help repair and refurbish community places and spaces, whilst learning vocational trade skills on the job.
Learners are mentored by professional tradespeople and can work towards and gain Entry Level City & Guilds trade skills accreditations. The group works with young people who are not in education, employment or training or at risk of disengagement/exclusion from mainstream education and training.
Volunteering with Volunteer It Yourself
If you would like to volunteer with VIY to support the experience of young people and the renovation of a community space in your area, you can take a look at the different roles available to see which best fits your skillset and complete a volunteer registration form on the Volunteer It Yourself website below.
