Decking supplier offers support to charity helping families, and are calling on other trades to do the same. 

Over the course of the pandemic, we’ve all found ourselves having to adapt to new challenges, facing tough periods of lockdown. But for many with complex health needs, feeling trapped in their homes has been an issue long before the pandemic began. 

That’s why the team at Ultra Decking, the fastest-growing composite decking brand in the UK, wanted to play their part in helping those families by starting work with WellChild’s Helping Hands project in 2019.

“We came across the project after a personal connection with a family friend who was struggling, and we wanted to give back to the wider community. We believe everyone has a duty to try and help out wherever they can, and give back to those who have not been as fortunate as us” Said Luke Jeffrey, Sales Manager at Ultra Decking. 

The charity provides garden transformations that help children with complex health needs, and their families, by providing spaces that are accessible and can help provide a better quality of life. Ultra Decking has been able to support the charity by providing long-lasting, durable composite decking, covering the materials and shipping costs for each project. 

In one transformation, Ultra Decking’s composite materials were able to help make a small garden safer and more accessible. Now 6-year-old Lorenna and her family have a space to spend time together, and for her to play safely and have her own swing! 

Lorenna’s chronic lung disease means she requires continuous oxygen and is fed through a tube directly into her stomach. After applying for a WellChild Helping Hands garden makeover, Ultra Decking’s composite deck has now been used by the team of volunteers to create a level surface in the garden, raised to meet the backdoor to make it much easier for Lorenna to access. 

Now, UltraDecking are calling on others to support these projects in whatever way they can, whether that be through volunteer time or with vital resources and supplies. 

“The pandemic has opened our eyes a bit more to how much the little things truly do matter. We urge more businesses within our sector to support in any way they can, as even a small amount can make a huge difference.” Luke Said. “During challenging times we must ensure these projects go ahead and offer families a small sense of normality.”

All of us have faced challenges over the pandemic, including recent pressures around the cost of living, plus delays in transport and supplies causing economic uncertainty, and often we can forget that these issues have hit charitable projects such as WellChildjust as hard, if not harder. For them, the lockdown has meant finding the volunteers to complete the projects became impossible, whilst recent backlogs in supply chains made it harder to access supplies and materials, with cost pressures likely to continue. 

For the Landscaping and Composite sector, many have been lucky to keep up and continue outdoor work, with more people looking at home renovation during the lockdown. But from this position of privilege, Ultra Decking wants to use this success to support others. 

“It can be easy to focus on your own problems, but there is always someone that is worse off than you.” Said Luke, “We all know what our own lockdown periods have been like, having  streamed every last boxset and completed more DIY projects than we knew needed doing, but for people who were already facing challenges or felt trapped at home, they have seen things become 10 times worse over this time.” 

Ultra Decking are hoping to encourage others in trades such as landscaping or building to join with them in offering support to the scheme.