A local community space in Ilkeston could soon receive a £10,000 transformation after a building supplier launched a new competition aimed at supporting grassroots organisations.
National Plastics has announced “The Big Build Competition”, giving one local school, charity or community group the chance to win a fully managed refurbishment project worth up to £10,000.
The competition is being run from the company’s Ilkeston branch on Falcon Court, Manners Industrial Estate, and importantly it means one project within the local area will be selected as the winner.
A chance to improve spaces that matter to the community
Organisations within 10 miles of the Ilkeston branch are invited to nominate a space that could benefit from improvement.
That could include places where people meet, learn or spend time together – from youth clubs and sports facilities to school wellbeing spaces, community halls or gardens.
The winning project will receive a complete refurbishment, with National Plastics supplying the materials and managing the work from start to finish.
The project is expected to be completed within six weeks, depending on the scale of the improvements required.
Supporting the organisations that keep communities going
Sanjit Dosanjh, Commercial Director at National Plastics, said the idea behind the competition was to give back to local organisations that play an important role in their communities.
He said:
“Across Ilkeston there are fantastic organisations doing important work for their communities, often in spaces that could really benefit from some investment.
“The Big Build Competition is our chance to change that for one of them.”
What kind of projects could be funded?
Projects must show a clear community benefit and be achievable within the £10,000 budget.
The refurbishment will focus on practical improvements using National Plastics’ core building materials, including guttering, fascias and soffits, decking, fencing, cladding and interior wall panels.
Potential projects could include:
Schools and education
- Creating wellbeing or quiet spaces
- Improving breakfast club areas
- Developing outdoor learning or garden spaces
Community and charity organisations
- Upgrading youth clubs
- Improving community halls or cafés
- Enhancing food bank spaces
- Developing recreational areas or community gardens
Accessibility improvements
- Upgrading facilities to make community buildings more accessible.
When to apply
The competition opened 16 March 2026, with entries being accepted until 13 April 2026.
Applicants will need to submit:
- A brief overview of their project
- Details of how it will benefit the community
- An outline of the work they would like to see carried out. NationalPlastics_BigBuild_Ilkes…
A judging panel will then review the submissions, with the winning project due to be announced during the week beginning 27 April.
While similar competitions are being held at National Plastics branches in Chester and Scunthorpe, each branch will select its own winning project – meaning one organisation within the Ilkeston area is guaranteed to receive the refurbishment.
How to enter
Full details about the competition and how to submit an application can be found on the National Plastics website.
For many community groups working hard behind the scenes across Ilkeston, the competition could offer a rare opportunity to transform a space that hundreds of local people rely on every week.