B&Q TO HELP GREEN UP CORONATION STREET

DIY Retailer Teams Up with George Clarke, The Restoration Man and the Ideal Home Show to Retrofit Weatherfield Home

B&Q, the UK’s largest home improvement retailer announces its sponsorship of the Ideal Home Show Refit designed by George Clarke. Over 250,000 visitors over 17 days will view the retrofit of the famed terrace house on the cobbles of Coronation Street to show visitors just how easy it is to create a sustainable home.

Named ‘The Ideal Home refit, sponsored by B&Q’, the home has been designed by architect and TV presenter of Channel Four’s The Restoration Man, George Clarke who is also a recent addition to the B&Q team as an ambassador to make home improvement easier.

The Ideal Home Show will allow visitors to see up close the current home of Deidre and Ken Barlow and then pop next door to view the eco-vated version of the iconic terrace. From Forest Friendly timber floors, resourced from 100% of well managed forests to efficient under floor heating, the house will be transformed into the greenest house on the street.

And a trip to Coronation Street would not be complete without a visit to the local Rovers Return where Betty’s famous ‘Hot Pot’ and a pint are so familiar.

George Clarke says; ‘The retrofit is designed to show that whether you’re in a Victorian terrace or a modern penthouse, greening up your home is affordable and possible. Many of the products on show can be bought from your local B&Q whose sustainable products are both easy to work with and make a real impact into cutting your home’s carbon emissions.’

George will be at the show giving ‘How To’ talks to keen home improvers as well as being on hand to showcase the home to VIP visitors.

Matt Sexton, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at B&Q says; ‘It’s great that we’re involved with the biggest home exhibition in the UK and getting the chance to tell 250,000 visitors how we’re making it easier for them to live a more sustainable way of life. From Forest Friendly timber and FSC wallpaper to energy monitors and low energy light bulbs we’re on a mission to make it easier for customers to green up their homes.’

B&Q is also giving away tickets to the public via social networking site Twitter and their own website www.diy.com.  Watch out for the online competitions where followers will be asked to showcase their best home improvement makeovers.

B&Q has achieved a 16 per-cent absolute reduction in carbon emissions over the last few years and is working towards a 20 per-cent reduction target by 2012.  To see more about what B&Q is doing to reduce its environmental footprint, visit www.diy.com/oneplanethome.

B&Q has recently achieved its 100 per cent goal of only buying timber from responsibly sourced forests

B&Q is the largest home improvement and garden centre retailer in the UK and Ireland with 330 stores, employing more than 30,000 people nationwide, more than a quarter of whom are over 50 years of age, with a similar number under the age of 25. For more information about B&Q please go to www.diy.com/aboutus.

Source: B&Q via Z-PR

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