For all the analyzing of the industry I do, of it’s flaws and where it can be improved, I very rarely focus on the already good things happening within it. So with this post I aim to right that wrong

 

UAP, one of the country’s largest and most experienced window, door and locksmith hardware suppliers, have a charitable record that every double glazing company would be jealous of. This is their lists to date of the work they have done:

  • All UAP’s carbon emissions have been officially off-set, confirmed by UK registered charity Plant A Tree Today Foundation, by planting 56,000 tress over three years as part of a reforestation project.
  • The majority of UAP’s company cars are environmen tally friendly hybrids.
  • They have teamed up with the Blackpool based charity DCWC Nepal to build five much needed schools in the most rural and inaccessible parts of Nepal. The schools have allowed 1,000 children the opportunity of an education.
  • UAP and Tradelocks made a charitable donation to the Red Cross to aid the recovery in Japan after the devastating earthquake and Tsunami which wreaked destruction all along the Japanese East coast.
  • UAP participated in ‘Twitrelief’. They won the bids for Kate Garraway (entertainment editor of Daybreak, and founder of the discount website goodypass.com) and David Morrissey (actor and director) to ‘super follow’ @UAP_TRADELOCKS on Twitter. This means that not only did UAP contribute a large amount of money to Comic Relief – so they can continue to help communities in real need across the UK and the wor ld’s poorest countries – but continued to raise awareness through these high profile celebrities (and their collective amount of Twitter followers of almost 50,000 people) of the security and locksmithing industry.

UAP’s latest business venture involved them opening ‘3TC’ – their onsite cafe and catering facility based in Albert Close Trading Estate, Whitefield. Through 3TC they have begun to work alongside their local charity ‘Bury Housing Concern’. The not-for-profit charity helps the homeless with food, essentials and provides continuous support, rehousing and rehabilitation. UAP has pledged to donate enough food to provide 120 people with a meal every week for a year

 

I have a developing eco-nut inside which some of those charitable activities really struck a chord with. The first thing that jumped out at me was the fleet of company cars that are hybrid vehicles. I have in previous posts pontificated about the need to wean ourselves off oil and integrate more sustainable technology into our daily lives, including motoring. Hybrids use less fuel and are far better for the environment in the long term. Win win situation.

The Japanese Tsunami donation was also one which raised my eyebrows in quiet surprise and impressed me. I, as many of you probably did, watched on TV the horror unfolding in Japan with utter shock. The destruction and devastation brought on such a dignified people was immensely unfair. But up to press UAP are the only industry related company to make a donation to help aid the Japanese people with their reconstruction and redevelopment.

With social media very much a part of our industry, it’s good to see such a forward thinking method of gaining a charitable foothold in the world of Twitter. It’s something I’ve not seen from too many other companies in our industry so far and should be applauded. Too many still don’t know how to use social media to it’s full potential, here, with ‘Twitrelief’, it is.

Charitable work has obvious benefits to those who the work is being done for. But it’s residual effect is that it shows that the industry has a very honest and positive side. Something which can only benefit the industry and help improve it’s reputation in the eyes of the general public.

For more detail on UAP’s charity work, go to: http://www.universal-imports.com/

List of charities UAP works with: