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Doughnuts for the office. Making a round of tea. Going the extra mile for a customer or colleague. Spending an afternoon helping an elderly relative. Checking in on a friend who might be having a difficult time.
Throughout September, people across the home improvement and home enhancement industry logged 1,651 moments of kindness as part of Rainy Day Trust's Thousand Smiles September campaign. The original target was 1,000 smiles, and the industry went well beyond it.
About Rainy Day Trust
Rainy Day Trust is the charity for the home improvement and home enhancement industry, and BHETA is proud to support it as our partner charity. The Trust provides counselling and other practical and emotional support to people working in the industry, and those who have worked in it, when they need it most.
Idea behind the campaign
The idea behind the campaign was deliberately simple. It has been a challenging year across the sector, and many people may be dealing with pressures that those around them simply don't see.
Thousand Smiles September set out to bring people together in a positive and accessible way. It encouraged everyone to notice those small opportunities to do something kind for someone else, and served as a reminder of just how valuable human connection can be.
How the challenge worked
Teams were encouraged to complete one random act of kindness each day and log their smiles on a live leaderboard. Organisations across the industry embraced the challenge with enthusiasm, with balloons, T-shirts, team activities, plenty of friendly competition and, of course, lots of smiles along the way.
Alongside the challenge, participants could also take part in a series of short wellbeing videos and quizzes.
Top of the leaderboard
Special recognition goes to the campaign's top-performing teams: Stax Trade Centres Manchester and Leeds, IRSAP UK and Simpson Strong-Tie. Their kindness, engagement and fundraising kept them at the top of the leaderboard throughout September.
We're also proud to share that the BHETA team finished fourth on the leaderboard. Taking part was a wonderful way for the team to support our partner charity, and it brought plenty of smiles to our office along the way.
Kindness that lasts beyond September
For many participants, kindness became part of their daily routine, with some logging a smile on almost every day of the month. That may be one of the loveliest outcomes of Thousand Smiles September: small acts of kindness can become a habit. Taking an extra moment to check in with someone, offer some help or simply make somebody smile doesn't have to stop just because September has ended.
The campaign also raised vital funds that will go straight back into supporting people within the industry, helping Rainy Day Trust continue to provide counselling and other support to those who need it.
A word from Rainy Day Trust
Anna Skeats, CEO of Rainy Day Trust, said: “This year has been tough for so many people in our industry, and we know a lot of them are carrying more than they let on. Thousand Smiles September was our way of bringing everyone together around something simple; noticing each other. A coffee, a kind word, a box of doughnuts on a Monday morning, going the extra mile for a customer. None of it is complicated, but every one of those 1,651 smiles was a moment where someone felt seen. Watching teams embrace it, share their kindness every day and have fun doing it has been incredibly special. Thank you to everyone who took part.”
Looking for the next challenge?
Rainy Day Trust's Annual Challenge Series will return with Mad March Million in March 2027. Organisations interested in taking part or supporting the campaign can contact info@rainydaytrust.org.uk.
Congratulations to everyone who took part in Thousand Smiles September, and thank you for showing what our industry can achieve when it comes together.
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