Trafford Veterans is a group of armed forces veterans, emergency service personnel and local volunteers, who all live in Trafford, Greater Manchester. Their most recent initiative was to develop a mobile hub which could be used to travel into areas they have not worked in before and support hard to reach communities. A chance meeting with Gerflor and Gradus ignited a desire for both companies to help by donating products that would help the mobile hub project to be completed. This included Gerflor’s world class Tarasafe Impression safety vinyl flooring and robust Gradus SureProtect Pure Wall Cladding. This iconic project demonstrates both Gerflor’s and Gradus’s commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
The group was formed in 2015 after the two founding members, Royal Navy Veteran Claire Wright, and British Army Veteran Chris Squires, left the armed forces and faced a struggle with physical and mental injuries. This affected their transition from the military back into their respective communities. Their experiences prompted them to provide peer support to other veterans and members of the community, so people would not feel alone.
Their vision for the mobile hub was to have an exhibition type vehicle, with a seating area and kitchenette so that people could easily drop in for advice, activities or just for some company, have a chat and a cup of tea and be with like-minded people. The aim of the mobile hub is that it can be used for a wide range of activities including a learning centre for short learning courses, networking and presentations, and a place to go for information, support, and advice. They also want to build on their community outreach and provide volunteering opportunities, as well as hold activities for veterans and the local community such as job clubs, workshops and peer support activities. The mobile hub will also provide a safe, comfortable place for people to attend appointments with the Trafford Veterans or their partner organisations.
Commenting on the mobile hub project Claire Squires (Wright), Co-Founder of the Trafford Veterans said, “Trafford Veterans has been running peer support activities for the past nine years. Our events are well attended, but we just felt that there were more people that we could reach on a smaller scale that do not like crowds or busy places. Having a mobile hub that we can take out to town centres and supermarket car parks will now help us to reach and support more people.”
On specification and the donation of products by Gerflor and Gradus Claire Squires said, “A chance meeting with a member of staff from Gerflor and Gradus, whilst on a course sparked their interest in our mobile hub project. The flooring and splashback materials were kindly donated by Gerflor and Gradus, and as a thank you and in recognition of their charitable assistance we placed their logos on the back of the van.” Hannah Parkinson, Marketing Product Manager, Gerflor and Gradus said, “This was a rewarding project to be involved with. The Trafford Veterans do an incredible job supporting the local veterans and it was an extremely easy decision to make in donating much-needed products for their mobile hub project. We supplied our innovative Tarasafe Impression safety flooring and robust Gradus SureProtect Pure Wall Cladding for the van.”
Commenting on the completion of the project Claire Squires said, “The mobile hub van now looks completely spectacular and will be a fantastic asset to the Trafford Veterans for many years to come. The vehicle build was completed in May, and we would definitely specify Gerflor and Gradus products again. The project can be seen in our YouTube clip called Veterans Hub Build on YouTube.com.”
Research data shows that there are approximately 5,000 veterans living throughout Trafford with a third of these being over the age of 80. However, that is only a rough estimate and counting younger veterans and others who have not disclosed that they have served, there could be many more. Creating a mobile hub will now help to reach so many more of these veterans.
Claire Squires finally added, “A huge heartfelt thank you to Gerflor and Gradus for supporting our armed forces and emergency services mobile hub project.”
Overview of Gerflor and charitable product donated.
Gerflor is a global manufacturer of comprehensive contract interior flooring solutions, including vinyl, linoleum, carpets, and rubber. Gerflor innovations help to create attractive and functional environments, as well as enhance and protect building interiors. Gerflor solutions are proven to enhance the longevity of a facility, whilst reducing long term maintenance costs. Gerflor works in partnership with the construction sector to ensure buildings are safe and accessible for all users.
Tarasafe Impression Safety Flooring
The Tarasafe Impression Collection is a stunning safety flooring range that comprises of realistic wood and mineral finishes that relate to contemporary up-and-coming trends. Tarasafe Impression is perfect for both refurbishments and new builds. A multi-purpose floorcovering, it’s ideal for a host of heavy traffic environments where slip resistance is a must. Providing 20 design-led colourways and is suitable for healthcare, education, retail, public spaces, offices, and other commercial interiors.
Crucially, Tarasafe Impression has the technical qualities of a safety flooring that can be relied upon when it counts. Designed for medium to high traffic commercial applications it comprises of a compact backing, reinforced with a glass fibre and a printed design that is protected by a transparent wear layer. It is slip resistant to ≥36 HSE standards, has a R11 slip resistant rating and has achieved a 20RTMRz micro surface roughness measurement, which indicates a low slip risk in wet conditions.
It is also an exceptionally hardwearing, tough, and durable 2mm thick, compact flooring with a 0.70mm thick wear layer. Tarasafe Impression also offers a hygienic solution thanks to a revolutionary UV cured PUR surface treatment for easy cleaning and maintenance. With the Protecsol® Control surface treatment it’s extremely easy to clean. Developed to make a favourable ‘impression’ where both aesthetics and safety are paramount, Tarasafe Impression provides inspirational design, superior slip resistance and outstanding performance within new build and refurbishment projects. Selected references are also available in Tarasafe Impression HOP for looselay installations.