Liverpool company Sovini Trade Supplies, part of the Sovini Group, has donated thousands of pounds worth of products to build a community for war veterans as part of a DIY SOS build.

Aintree-based Sovini Trade Supplies donated £16,000 worth of materials as BBC show DIY SOS transformed a street of derelict houses in Manchester into a row of homes for military veterans as part of their 'The Big Build: Veteran's Special'.

A number of employees travelled down to the community in the Newton Heath area of Manchester to personally deliver the materials, including cement, timber and radiators, to ensure veterans are kept warm over the winter.

The project included renovating seven derelict houses into three new homes, building a new training centre for the retraining of wounded soldiers into the trades and face-lifting all 62 properties in the street. It even drew the attention of the Royal family, as Prince Harry and Prince William visited the scheme and helped out by laying paving stones and painting walls.

To make the scheme even more special, two of Sovini Trade Supplies' newest employees are ex-servicemen, who landed full-time jobs after volunteering at the store.

Ex-serviceman Tony Smith, who now works for Sovini Trade Supplies, said: "It was a real pleasure to support this development with DIY SOS, as it's projects like this that give veterans the support they need to acclimatise back into civilisation. I received this support from the Sefton Veterans Project and Sovini Trade Supplies, so it's nice to be part of a business that gives that support to my fellow veterans."

Anita Harrison-Carroll, director of Sovini Trade Supplies, said: "We were thrilled to take part in this project, as we work closely with the Expect Sefton Veterans Project, so it's a cause very close to our heart. It was a great experience to see everyone come together and reward the veterans who have protected our people and our country over the years. At the heart of our organisation is the desire to do social good, and this is a prime example of using the resources we have to give back to communities that we serve."

Sovini Trade Supplies, part of the philanthropic Sovini Group in Merseyside, is a 'one stop shop' for housing associations, housebuilders and repairs and maintenance firms in the North West. Capacity generated by Sovini Trade Supplies is reinvested in the group's non-profit social housing partners, supporting their investment in new homes and developing local communities.