A NATIONAL charity which trains dogs to support people with epilepsy, physical disabilities and children with autism has seen its specialist training area transformed by Evesham manufacturer Karndean Designflooring.

Based in Sheffield, Support Dogs was nominated to receive a free floor as part of Karndean’s "40 Free Floors for 40 Good Causes" appeal. In a project worth more than £6,000, the luxury vinyl floor company has donated and fitted 100 square meters of its Van Gogh Classic Oak in the charity’s training supply room and main corridor.

Rita Howson, chief executive of Support Dogs, said: "We’ve been in desperate need of a new floor for many years now, but as a charity you have to put the needs of the people you serve before the cosmetics of the building. Our training supply room is one our most important areas, and is home to our specialist on-site trainers and their dogs. With our dogs using the area on a daily basis, our previous carpet was completely unsuitable, making it almost impossible to maintain. To say we’re absolutely thrilled with our new Karndean floor is an understatement. It’s completely transformed our space into a professional and modern environment that we can now be proud to show off to our clients and visitors.

“What’s more, it’s durable and easy to clean which means we don’t have to worry about unsightly marks or accidental spillages.”

Paul Barratt, managing director of Karndean Designflooring, added: “Our judges were immediately touched by the fantastic work undertaken by Support Dogs within the community. As the charity relies solely on donations alone, it means the money which would have eventually been allocated to replace the floor can now be used where it’s most needed.”

Karndean launched its "40 Free Floors for 40 Good Causes" appeal in October 2013 in a bid to help local charities and organisations in the USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand.

The international appeal has been calling on the public to nominate individuals, families, businesses and other worthy causes that they think deserve to win a free Karndean floor.

There will be 15 worthy winners from the UK in total, with five handpicked by Karndean and ten selected from Facebook nominations. The 40 causes will also feature 15 winners from the USA and 10 from Australia and New Zealand.