'Turns a shell of a house into a home'

Tom Philpott has been able to start carpeting the bare floorboards in his home himself with simple carpet tiles

A man who moved into social housing with no flooring has said his "house is now a home" after council-backed charities delivered some carpet to him.

Kennet Furniture Refurbiz (KFR) and the Salvation Army - with funding from Wiltshire Council's Household Support Fund - have begun supplying flooring to tenants who need it.

Tom Philpott moved into a home in Wiltshire with his two-year-old son Noah and said: "I thought I'd get a grant to get the carpet done. I wasn't expecting anything special. I was just expecting a bit of help."

It is common for social housing to have bare flooring, and many tenants move in with exposed concrete or floorboards. The charities are also recycling by sourcing a lot of the carpet tiles, nearly new, from office blocks.

Mr Philpott's own room has no carpet - he has been using rugs to cover some of the bare floorboards

Mr Philpott is a single dad and has been looking after Noah full-time for several months. He said he realised he needed to do something about the lack of flooring when the two-year-old had a splinter in his foot from walking on the floorboards.

The modular nature of the carpet tiles means most people can fit the carpet themselves and Mr Philpott made it his priority to get them into his son's room first.

"He was at his grandparents when I did it. When he came back, he had new bedding, painted walls, a few new cars and toys and a new carpet. He was just over the moon.

"I don't think he left his room for the rest of that day and he went to bed quite happily that night, which is normally not a thing," he added.

Two-year-old Noah's room was the first one his dad carpeted

Richard Shea from the Salvation Army said Mr Philpott's carpet tiles came from offices.

"They were just not needed any more. They were taken off with great care. These would have genuinely been incinerated or seen as waste, but these are in absolutely great condition. Their commercial grade means they're suitable for residential properties."

It is usually often only bathrooms and kitchens that have flooring in social housing.

Noah is very happy about the new carpet in his bedroom

Providing flooring is a recent addition to the support KFR already provides clients - the charity also provides people with washing machines, cookers and sofas free of charge.

Dan Thompson from KFR agreed that carpet "turns a shell of a house into a home. It makes people have the ability to be proud of where they live".

Mr Shea said the two charities wanted to raise awareness about the conditions social housing tenants can face. He said: "There is no carpet in some homes.

"Then there's the fact some carpet goes in the bin, so we want to marry up what would be considered waste with those who haven't got anything."

Richard Shea from the Salvation Army (left) and Dan Thompson from KFR (right) are working together

Mr Shea said there was a social impact too: "As for children who now have carpet in their bedroom - they can bring friends round, they don't feel embarrassed. They'd be normal.

"There is a waste problem and there is a standard of living problem and we can get the two together" he added.

For social housing tenants who need help to afford flooring, Wiltshire Council will refer them to KFR who work together with the Salvation Army.