Armstead Allies Reach Out
This summer saw the coming together of Armstead Trade’s newly formed group of trade mentors – the “Armstead Allies“ – and Volunteer It Yourself (VIY) to transform the Nottinghamshire Clubs for Young People.
Alka Dass, Senior Brand Manager – Armstead, said:“As part of AkzoNobel’s long-term commitment to giving back to local communities under our People. Planet. Paint. approach, we wanted to put the expertise of the trade front and centre of our latest Armstead Trade campaign. The ambition is all about promoting the profession and getting younger people into the trade. We have an ageing population and this is reflected in the demographic of painters and decorators.
“We’ve always believed in the positive power of paint to transform spaces through colour. And what better way to pave the path for future talent than through peer-to-peer learning and hands-on experience from some the best in the industry? And so, the Armstead Allies were born.”
Armstead’s nominated Allies for the brand’s debut project in Nottingham included: Nathan Carter and his apprentice Kieran from Nice Decor, Seán Kelly from Seán Kelly Enterprises Ltd and also a Dulux Select Decorator, Billy Flynn from Flynn & Co and Mike Cupit from Mike Cupit Décor. Between them they hold over 70 years of painting and decorating experience and regularly use Armstead for their client jobs. In collaboration with VIY they guided ten young people, provided them with practical learning and advice and gave them a real taste of what a career in painting and decorating is like.
“We already have a longstanding partnership with VIY as part of our Dulux Let’s Colour programme,” Dass explains. “We are incredibly supportive of their work and we will continue to explore ways of giving back to communities and bringing in young people to trade.”
VIY is a social enterprise that works with 14–24-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) or at risk of disengagement/exclusion from mainstream education and training. They give young people access to DIY and volunteering by challenging them to help repair and refurbish youth and community facilities, whilst learning vocational trade skills on the job.
Related posts:
