{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/642d2bf81c2e260011ec1fdd/6a75e32be188bf946f6877c8?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"How Surplus Carpet Is Helping Families in Need","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/642d2bf81c2e260011ec1fdd/1786110625788-92bf738d-f67e-4a8d-ae80-5af4a47cd2c9.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>In this episode of The UK Flooring Podcast, Tom sits down with Andrew Sykes from Noah’s Ark Centre and Carpets Like a Boss to explore the impact flooring can have on people experiencing poverty, poor mental health and housing insecurity.</p><p>Andrew shares his own journey from running successful businesses to suffering a nervous breakdown that completely changed the direction of his life. After finding a new purpose at Noah’s Ark, he used his financial background to help families escape debt and build more stable lives.</p><p>That work eventually opened his eyes to carpet poverty. Families were moving into social housing with bare concrete floors, struggling to heat their homes and, in some cases, being prevented from bringing their children home because the property was considered unsafe.</p><p>Andrew explains how Carpets Like a Boss grew from a shipping container and one local fitter into a warehouse operation with several fitting teams. By working with Mercado, Headlam and other partners, surplus flooring that might otherwise have been discarded is now being used to create warmer, safer and more dignified homes.</p><p>This is a powerful conversation about mental health, debt, purpose, social value and the role the flooring industry can play in changing lives.</p><p><strong>Content note:</strong> This episode includes discussions about suicide, domestic abuse, addiction and mental health crises.</p><p><br></p><h3>What You’ll Learn in This Episode</h3><ul><li>How Andrew’s own mental health breakdown led him towards charity work.</li><li>Why debt and financial insecurity can have such a serious effect on mental health.</li><li>What carpet poverty looks like inside homes across the UK.</li><li>How bare floors can affect warmth, safety, dignity and social isolation.</li><li>The story that first made Andrew realise how urgently families needed flooring.</li><li>How Carpets Like a Boss began with a shipping container and one local fitter.</li><li>How surplus and end-of-line flooring can be redirected into homes that need it.</li><li>How the project has provided flooring to more than 950 families in Calderdale.</li><li>Why applicants receive wider support with debt, benefits, budgeting and employment.</li><li>The real cost of funding carpet fitting, storage and warehouse operations.</li><li>How flooring helped one young man return home from hospital in time for Christmas.</li><li>Why Andrew believes support should provide a hand up, not simply a handout.</li><li>How housing associations could improve tenancies by providing properly finished homes.</li><li>Andrew’s ambition to create a self-sustaining model that funds more community services.</li><li>How flooring manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers can support similar projects.</li></ul><h3>Memorable Quote</h3><blockquote>“Can carpets save someone’s life? I say, yeah.”</blockquote><h3>Speaker Information</h3><p>Andrew Sykes works with the Noah’s Ark Centre in Halifax and is the driving force behind Carpets Like a Boss.</p><p>After a successful career in financial services, Andrew experienced a serious mental health breakdown. He later used his knowledge of finance to develop debt advice, budgeting, food support, white goods and flooring projects for people experiencing poverty across Calderdale.</p><p>Carpets Like a Boss works with the flooring industry to redirect usable carpet into the homes of families and individuals who would otherwise be unable to afford it.</p><p><br></p><h3>Where to Find Andrew and Carpets Like a Boss</h3><p>Carpets Like a Boss:</p><p> <a href=\"https://carpetslikeaboss.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://carpetslikeaboss.com/</a></p><p>Noah’s Ark Centre:</p><p> <a href=\"https://www.noahsarkcentre.org.uk/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.noahsarkcentre.org.uk/</a></p><h3>Where to Find The UK Flooring Podcast</h3><p>Website:</p><p> <a href=\"https://theukflooringpodcast.co.uk/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://theukflooringpodcast.co.uk/</a></p><p>YouTube:</p><p> https://www.youtube.com/@cockerillco6141</p><p>Spotify:</p><p> <a href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/59DLhGPVKNtVoS656EYtxq?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://open.spotify.com/show/59DLhGPVKNtVoS656EYtxq</a></p><p>Apple Podcasts:</p><p> <a href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-uk-flooring-podcast/id1606720642?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-uk-flooring-podcast/id1606720642</a></p><p>Instagram:</p><p> <a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/theukflooringpodcast/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.instagram.com/theukflooringpodcast/</a></p><p>Facebook:</p><p> <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/theukflooringpodcast?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.facebook.com/theukflooringpodcast</a></p><p><strong>Produced by Cockerill &amp; Co.</strong></p>","author_name":"Cockerillandco"}