Nottingham Forest great Mark Crossley and charity founder and community leader Dr Marcellus Baz (BEM) were the special guests for the grand opening of MKM Nottingham.
The UK’s largest independent builder’s merchant invited the two local heroes to mark the branch officially opening its doors to the trade and public earlier this week.
To kick-off celebrations and highlight MKM’s commitment to the local community, the branch has pledged its ongoing support to Mark’s W.A.T.C.H Foundation (Walking and Talking Charity Hikes / #Walkingsbrilliant) with an initial donation of £1000.
And to deliver another knock-out punch, MKM Nottingham’s Branch Directors Gavin Moody and Sam Shipman also presented a cheque of £1000 to Baz, the founder and CEO of Switch Up Nottingham, a charity that exists to empower Nottingham’s young people, children and adults to break the cycle of offending and reoffending.
Gavin Moody, Branch Director at MKM Nottingham, said: “As a local, independent business, we are extremely passionate about our local community. That’s why we are delighted to celebrate the official opening of our new branch with the announcement of these two partnerships.
“Mark’s a local legend in these parts and W.A.T.C.H – a non-profit organisation, has already raised up to £200k for a number of local good causes, whilst at the same time promoting the importance of mental health support.
“We also wanted to pledge our commitment to Switch Up Nottingham and the amazing work that Baz and his charity do in the local community. The hard work, dedication and passion that Baz has for helping others, driven by his own adversity and the power of boxing, is truly inspirational.
“The charity makes such a huge difference to the lives of the people they touch, so we are looking forward to supporting Switch Up Nottingham and playing our part in making a difference in the local area too.”
Marcellus Baz (BEM) commented: “My team and I are grateful to MKM Nottingham for choosing us as its charity partner. Aligning with local and like-minded businesses is essential in creating opportunities for the young people we support, both through funding but also through connections with the city’s employers.
“Our work empowers vulnerable, disadvantaged young people by providing mentors and steering them away from the temptation of crime and exploitation. We offer a supportive environment backed by fitness classes, workshops and alternative education where they can build skills to carry for life and reach their true potential.
“The construction sector has to urgently attract the next generation of skills, while we have a resource of local people that desperately want to be given the chance to prove themselves and build a long-term career. With that in mind, we’re looking forward to a long and prosperous partnership between Switch Up and MKM.”
Open to both the trade and general public, MKM Nottingham is a purpose built, state-of-the-art builder’s merchant that is conveniently located on a 1.9 acre site just off the A612 in Colwick.
Creating 20 new jobs in the area, the branch provides an extensive range of building materials, plumbing and heating, timber, landscaping, joinery and more. The branch also boasts a stunning kitchen and bathroom showroom and outdoor landscaping display, which showcases all the latest designs, colours and trends.
Sam Shipman, MKM Nottingham’s Branch Director, concluded: “We might be a new independent business, but we have a highly experienced and skilled team on-hand to help our customers every step of the way, no matter what project they are working on.
“Our aim and commitment is to provide outstanding levels of customer service in a welcoming, friendly and fun environment. In addition to our extensive product offering, we also offer a range of first-class services, from free same day or next day delivery, to free kitchen and bathroom design services.”
Nottingham born and bred and huge Forest fans, both Gavin and Sam have extensive experience in the merchanting industry and of the local area. Gavin started in the sector at 16 years old as a part-time sales assistant, working his way up over the last 34 years.
Sam took a slightly different path, studying for a degree in Business at Nottingham Trent University, before joining the management training programme of a national merchant where he became one of the youngest branch manager’s in the company’s history. They are both excited by the challenge and opportunity of running their own business with MKM.
For more information, visit: MKM.com
For more information on how to support W.A.T.C.H or Switch Up Nottingham, visit https://walkingsbrilliant.com and www.marcellusbaz.co.uk/switch-up.