Edinburgh builders merchants want to say 'thanks' to NHS pandemic heroes

A new scheme has been developed to provide NHS workers across Edinburgh with discounts at local builders’ merchants as a way of thanking them for their pandemic heroics.

Let us know what you think and join the conversation at the bottom of this article

The Builders Merchants Federation Ltd (BMF) has launched ‘Builders’ Merchants Supporting the NHS’, an initiative that recognises the hard work of healthcare staff on the front line.

A total of 33 merchants in the membership will be supporting the discount programme across 1225 branches, including ones situated in Edinburgh. Each participating BMF member will offer their own deals, averaging at 10 per cent off shelf price items, with some exclusions on certain product lines varying from branch to branch.

Praise for NHS 'heroes' - John Newcomb

The scheme will operate for six months, with NHS staff having to show identification information to receive the discount at the participating branches. The BMF have also pulled together a full list of the members taking part in the scheme, including an overview of the discount each branch will provide, which can be found at www.bmf.org.uk/nhs.

John Newcomb, chief executive of the BMF, said: “Throughout the pandemic, our NHS workers in Edinburgh have gone above and beyond for the national effort. As an industry, we wanted to come together and thank them for their work. Builders’ merchants that have taken part will offer an expert service and access to a wide range of products. Visitors can also be assured of stringent safety procedures, with BMF members working to clear operating procedures to protect against Covid-19.”

Kieran Griffin, the Managing Director at Travis Perkins, which will be one of the BMF companies taking part in the new scheme, said: “The pandemic has shown incredible examples of personal sacrifice, generosity and community spirit, and from the start, our colleagues played their part by donating building supplies and PPE to keep the NHS workers safe.

“We are proud to take part in this BMF initiative and offer NHS workers a 10 per cent dedicated discount when they buy from us as a small recognition and thank you to those who have been -and remain- on the front line, caring for us and our families, for which we are all so grateful.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.