“Improving a space can profoundly transform the daily lives of the people who live there.” This premise, expressed by the executive director of Positive Impact of Leroy Merlin Spain, Cristina Sáncehz, summarizes the spirit of the company’s Decent Homes initiative, which has just celebrated its fifth edition.
In this call, the company has allocated 500,000 euros to promote the social action program aimed at promoting projects for the renovation, conditioning and improvement of spaces where people in vulnerable situations live, spend the night or make continuous use of it. They are projects carried out by entities from different fields with the common denominator that all of them are dedicated to the care of groups with special and different needs for care and support, both in their homes and in centers. Thus, people with disabilities, homeless people, the elderly, women, minors and families at risk of exclusion will have more dignified and safe reception spaces.
Collaborative editing
This new call for Dignified Homes has, once again, been very well received by Third Sector entities, with 256 projects presented from all over Spain. After an evaluation process, 30 initiatives have finally been selected that will benefit the more than 56,000 people to whom their work is directed.
Financially, donations range from 10,000 to 30,000 euros, part in cash and part in Leroy Merlin products to make the projects a reality. These items will be delivered to each beneficiary by the nearest stores, whose teams will also work closely with each NGO to offer them the necessary advice and accompany them throughout the process.
A novelty this year is that the participants have incorporated a corporate volunteering proposal, as a formula to more actively involve store collaborators in the projects and strengthen the link between Leroy Merlin, the social organizations and the communities in which they are present.
Two organizations have obtained the largest aid, 30,000 euros each. These are the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) of Madrid and the Obra Social San Juan de Dios of the Balearic Islands and Valencia. The first will dedicate the donation to the reform and humanization of the outdoor dining room for cancer patients by eliminating barriers. For its part, the second will eliminate humidity and improve air conditioning in its social emergency centers.
Energy efficiency and others
All projects are focused, in one way or another and always in accordance with the specific needs of the users, to improve the organizations’ facilities. It is notable that the objective of more than half of the projects includes actions that will reinforce climate adaptation, energy or water efficiency, or alleviate household energy poverty. Thus, solar panels, LED lighting systems, efficient air conditioning systems, low-consumption ventilation, waterproofing and acoustic insulation, among others, will be installed.
100,000 beneficiaries
Started in 2022, the Leroy Merlin Dignified Homes initiative has allocated 2,100,000 euros to finance more than 100 projects developed by social entities throughout Spain, which have benefited nearly 100,000 people.
Cristina Sánchez, at the donation ceremony, emphasized the idea that inspires this initiative: “we firmly believe that a decent life begins with a decent home and at Leroy Merlin we want to contribute to building it so that all people can have an environment in which to live better.”
An idea that was echoed by the paleontologist and co-director of the Atapuerca Research team, Ignacio Martínez Mendizábal, who spoke at the event, and contributed a reflection on the value of solidarity and the importance of the community as an engine of learning, development and survival: “people grow and advance when they have an environment that accompanies them, protects and offers opportunities.”