​A prominent Surrey charity that supports disabled people of all ages is preparing to give its shops, offices and services a new lick of paint – after securing a large donation from Leyland SDM.

Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People (QEF) has been gifted just over £13,000 worth of paint from the leading decorating and DIY specialist Leyland SDM. This is the result of a volunteering partnership with parent company Grafton Group in recent years.

The paint, which is in a variety of colours and finishes, will be used to freshen up all of the charity’s 15 shops across Surrey and Middlesex, as well as offices and client areas in the charity’s expert services near Leatherhead, Surrey.

Roberto Agnese, Business Development Manager at Leyland SDM, said: “We are absolutely delighted to make this significant donation to QEF, who do such important work supporting disabled people and people with acquired brain injuries to be as independent as possible.

“We have been able to donate thousands of litres of paint from some of the best brands. I look forward to seeing the difference these materials make to the charity shops, services and their offices. I’m sure it will create a pleasant environment for volunteers, shoppers, and service users.”

QEF has more than 85 years’ experience of developing innovative services which help almost 10,000 disabled people a year. The charity works with children and adults with physical and learning disabilities or acquired brain injuries, enabling each person to achieve their potential and increase their independence.

Hazel Drye, QEF Volunteer Coordinator, said: “We have had an ongoing partnership with Grafton Group for the last few years now, and their staff have been coming in for volunteering days each year to support us.

“When they mentioned that they could ask Leyland SDM to donate some paint we were thrilled, as it can be costly to refresh the interior look of our shops and services. Our shops are an important source of income for the charity so anything we can do to spruce them up and make them more enticing for people to visit is very much welcomed.

“Leyland SDM have been extremely generous with the amount of paint donated and I don’t think we’ll have to buy another pot for a long time to come. So I would like to say a huge thank you to The

Grafton Group and Leyland SDM for this donation and I hope all our local supporters will be popping in to see all our hard work and pick up a bargain in-store too.”  

Leyland SDM has grown to become one of the most recognisable and trusted decorating and DIY companies in central London with 33 stores in prominent locations across the city.

Some of the biggest and best-known DIY brands are available at Leyland SDM, including Farrow & Ball, Tesa, Bahco, Bosch, Purdy, Dulux Trade, Leyland Trade, Stanley, Ronseal and DEWALT, as well as 120 different timber options.

About Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People

Based in Surrey, Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People (QEF) is a charity working with almost 10,000 disabled children and adults every year. Whether it is rebuilding a life affected by brain injury, providing assistive mobility equipment, or acquiring the skills to drive a specially adapted car, QEF enables people to maximise their independence and achieve their potential.
www.qef.org.uk