A FLOORING retailer has donated more than £25,000 worth of stock to a leading housing and homelessness charity to help it raise further funds.

North-East-based Flooring Superstore, which has its headquarters in Birtley, near Chester-le-Street, donated 590 rugs to Shelter, which the charity plans to sell through its network of shops.

Shelter helps millions of people every year who are struggling with bad housing or homelessness through its advice, support and legal services.

Tracey Morrison, head of retail at Shelter England, said: “Donations are the lifeblood of our charity shops, so we are hugely grateful to Flooring Superstore for their generosity.

"These rugs are a welcome delivery in support of the gradual re-opening of our charity shops after the Covid-19 shut-down.

“Every penny raised will be used to underpin our vital work and frontline support services, which have been flooded with calls from people struggling with housing problems related to the pandemic.

"From people who’ve lost their jobs and can’t pay their rent, to homeless families stuck sofa-surfing, our expert advisers are helping thousands in desperate need of a safe home right now.

“The free advice and support Shelter provides can be life-changing, so we want to thank the Flooring Superstore for joining us in the fight against bad housing and homelessness at this critical time.”

Charities across the sector have been struggling through the pandemic amid shop closures and the cancellation of many fundraising events.

Meanwhile, Shelter saw a spike in the number of people who needed emergency accommodation during the lockdown.

The donation from Flooring Superstore, which is based at Portobello Trade Park, just off the A1, forms part of the retailer’s corporate social responsibility programme, which results in donations of flooring to dozens of charities, schools, local organisations, and good causes each year.

The retailer makes these donations via its head office in Birtley and through its 19 stores, which stretch from Scotland to the South-West of England.

Dan Foskett, managing director of Flooring Superstore, said: “This donation to Shelter is our biggest donation to date, but we felt it was an important one to make, especially during these difficult and unprecedented times.

“We are a fast-growing company with the vast majority of our retail stores opening in the last two years alone, so we recognise the importance of giving something back to the communities which have been so supportive towards us.

“This is why our corporate social responsibility programme is so important, as it enables us to help good causes in the areas where we have stores, whether it’s providing artificial grass for a local school to create an outdoor play area or vinyl flooring for an animal rescue centre.

“In Shelter’s case, we are hoping they will be able to make as much money as possible from the rugs and are looking forward to seeing how this money is spent as part of their ongoing efforts to tackle homelessness and bad housing.”