Bradfords Building Supplies is a family-owned builders’ merchant that’s been serving the South West for over 250 years.
With more than 45 branches and dedicated customer managed stores and a team of 800 staff, they’ve built their business on a simple principle: people and local relationships come first.
It’s an approach that’s earned them an impressive 4.6 rating on Trustpilot from over 14,000 reviews — proof that when your core work serves the community well, everything else follows.
From large-scale community initiatives like the Bradfords Community Cup with rugby team Exeter Chiefs to their three-year partnership with Children’s Hospice South West, Social Value by another name has always been part of Bradfords’ ethos. They secured a contract with SNG (Sovereign Network Group) in 2021 and discovered a great way to connect their resources with local need.
We’ve been able to discover and support local initiatives that we might never have come across otherwise — and who wouldn’t have known about us either.”
— Jo Love, Bid Manager, Bradfords Building Supplies
We sat down with Jo Love, Bid Manager in the Partnership Team at Bradfords, to find out how Match My Project has helped them turn Social Value commitments into meaningful community partnerships.
“It’s created a bridge between our values and the needs of our communities, allowing us to offer meaningful support where previously there was no connection or opportunity.”
— Jo Love, Bradfords Building Supplies
Finding the Bridge
“At Bradfords, supporting community requests has always been part of our culture,” Jo explains.
“Often, it’s people coming directly to us — they need building materials for a project, and they know someone at Bradfords. Other times, it’s passion projects from our own team. In 2024, the whole company got behind Movember, and I’m proud to say we were the 4th largest corporate fundraiser in the UK and Europe.”
But when Bradfords won their contract with SNG, they were introduced to something new: Match My Project.
“Thanks to Match My Project and SNG, we’ve been able to discover and support local initiatives that we might never have come across otherwise — and who wouldn’t have known about us either,” Jo says.
“It’s created a bridge between our values and the needs of our communities, allowing us to offer meaningful support where previously there was no connection or opportunity.”
Solving the post-award problem
For Jo, the platform solved a persistent frustration in Social Value delivery.
“Social Value has always been an element of the tender process, but it hasn’t always translated well post award,” she explains.
“Often it was nobody’s fault and more down to timing, contacts, and awareness of projects. Match My Project solves this. Customer-approved projects are listed so that we can make a match which is aligned with our own criteria and abilities, and recorded, which is great for us.”
The result? Bradfords have shot to the top of the leaderboard, supporting 10 projects across 5 organisations and donating significant resources and funding.
“We are huge fans of your platform and are big advocates,” Jo adds. “Your platform enables us to specifically fund our customers’ priorities and makes it quantifiable and relatable to our work directly with them.”
“It was a purely transactional bit of funding at first. But as part of the process, you click on their website, you research them, and you find out what they’re doing — and you think, we want to be part of this.”
— Jo Love, Bradfords Building Supplies
Building lasting relationships
Working with community organisations has been inspiring for the Bradfords team.
“It’s fantastic,” Jo says. “Where our teams have been involved it inspires and motivates them. My particular favourite has been Turning Heads — I can’t believe one organisation does so much. It’s certainly inspired me.”
The relationship with Turning Heads shows exactly how a transactional donation can grow into something deeper.
“Last year, we provided £1,250 in funding to Turning Heads, which allowed them to put together 30 hampers for 30 families at Christmas,” Jo explains.
“It was a purely transactional bit of funding at first. But as part of the process, you click on their website, you research them, and you find out what they’re doing — and you think, we want to be part of this.”
When Turning Heads posted a request for gardening tools and PPE, Bradfords were quick to respond — and went further. “We also asked if we could come along and help with some bulb planting and tidying up of the areas they look after.”
Turning Heads was set up in 2018 to improve opportunities for adults with additional needs post-19 and create employment pathways. They run workshops, repair shops, a salon and café, art and pottery sessions, gardening projects, computers, and even a film centre.
“We had a fantastic day with them,” Jo recalls. “One of my colleagues said, ‘You just never know what goes on behind closed doors. They are amazing”. We joined them in their café for lunch with some of the centre users, and it gave us the chance to learn more about how we could help — not just practically, but we’ve also talked about assisting with bid writing for funding.”
The partnership continues to grow.
Turning Heads were recently bequeathed some land and want to build polytunnels, raised beds, an orchard and a glamping area so that centre users can learn horticultural skills and have the opportunity for a holiday.
“This is a project we hope to work jointly with SNG’s operational teams on in the future, combining our resources and practical skills,” Jo says.
“Get involved — your teams will gain just as much from taking part as those they’re supporting.”
— Jo Love, Bradfords Building Supplies
Impact that goes both ways
For Jo, the lesson is clear:
“Get involved — your teams will gain just as much from taking part as those they’re supporting. These experiences open your eyes, bring joy, and help you see things from a completely different perspective. The impact goes both ways.”
One relationship that exemplifies this approach is Bradfords’ work with non-profit worker co-op The Zebra Collective, which they’ve supported three times.
“The Zebra Collective is where many of our customers work, we have branches nearby and it’s where our people live,” Jo explains. “It’s in the heart of a community improving the life of local people of all ages and on so many issues. If we can help them with the materials fabric of their building, so that the building is welcoming, secure, and comfortable, they don’t have to worry about that and can get on with doing all the great stuff they do, supporting and delivering initiatives for our local communities.”
Going beyond: helping others connect
What really stands out about Bradfords is how they’ve gone beyond their own projects to help facilitate connections between other organisations.
At an SNG event, Bradfords connected with Protective Wear Supplies (PWS), another supplier new to the platform. When they learned that Turning Heads needed branded protective clothing, Bradfords encouraged both organisations to link together through Match My Project.
“We knew that Turning Heads were looking for branded protective clothing and encouraged them to put their request on the platform and let PWS know it was a match for them,” Jo recalls. “PWS happily assisted and it was lovely to walk through it all together.”
It’s this collaborative spirit that sets Bradfords apart — they’re not just using the platform for their own Social Value delivery, they’re actively helping build the ecosystem.
Tips from the Top
So what’s Jo’s advice for other suppliers looking to make an impact?
“Give it a go. The site is easy to use and if you’re not sure about something just reach out and the help is there.”
Are you a business looking for a better way to deliver on your Social Value commitments? Find verified community projects in your area. Sign up here.
And for community organisations trying to get noticed?
Jo has two key messages:
“Put yourself out there. Businesses have committed to delivering Social Value and putting your request out there means we can find you and deliver on our commitments.”
She also encourages organisations to think beyond big-ticket items. “At the SNG event, businesses encouraged community organisations to put all requests, including small items, on the platform too. Things like protective clothing that may help an individual get back into work, or tea and coffee — things the community organisation may think would be too small for a business to bother with, but in fact are an easy win.”
As Jo points out, many community organisations at the event shared a common surprise: “They didn’t realise companies were out there to help and willing to do so.”
Need support – on a particular project or with core delivery? It takes less than 15 minutes to sign up and post a request. Find your local authority at matchmyproject.org to get started.
Big appreciations to Bradfords, who are proving an invaluable partner to us – generous, responsive, strategic, contributing to multiple building development projects at Mt Wise Neighbourhood Centre. This valued but dilapidated community centre in our low-income community is starting to look loved again, and Bradford’s has been a major partner in this. They’ve gone above and beyond with us.
Bradfords have become our guardian angels!
Thanks for the support. Providing ongoing wellbeing support within our community is essential and it’s so important to have the resources to offer this.
— St. Sidwell’s Centre
Match My Project is proud to spotlight Bradfords Building Supplies as March’s Supplier of the Month.
Read more
Supplier of the month: Mulalley — Listening first and co-creating with the community, February 2026
Supplier of the month: Novus Property Solutions — building community, maintaining trust, December 2025
Supplier of the month: McConnell — building with care, November 2025
