At a time when companies are increasingly called to take an active role in society, the positive impact has ceased to be a discourse separate from business and has become part of its identity. At LEROY MERLIN, this responsibility translates into concrete action: in volunteering that brings together employees, partners, and communities, and in the constant proximity to those most in need, especially in moments of crisis.
From internal volunteering to a collaborative ecosystem
LEROY MERLIN volunteering is today realized in ReCria, the collaborative ecosystem open to companies, partners and civil society, structured in three axes with complementary purposes: ReCria Home, which fights housing and energy poverty through the rehabilitation of homes of families and social institutions; ReCria Planet, dedicated to environmental conservation and protection; and ReCria Future, dedicated to sustainability literacy and that seeks to create sustainability ambassadors. In 2025, this movement translated into 33 remodelings (28 in institutions and 5 in homes), 5,512 trees planted and 4,500 trees donated, in addition to 11.35 tons of waste collected, numbers that confirm the strong ongoing involvement with local communities.
“With ReCria we take a decisive step: LEROY MERLIN’s volunteering ceases to be only internal and becomes a collective movement. The more hands that join, the greater the transformation,” says João Lavos, Director of Positive Impact and Sustainability of LEROY MERLIN Portugal.
Present when the community needs it most
LEROY MERLIN’s commitment is reinforced also in the hardest moments, alongside its customers. After the storms that severely hit the country, the company launched the campaign “United for Reconstruction”, in partnership with Just a Change. In addition to the direct donation of €150,000, customer solidarity joined, as they, through the purchase of solidarity vouchers in-store, helped raise the total amount raised to €234,309, complementing more than 105 tons of materials mobilized for the areas most affected by the storms.
The response also extended to the capacity building of families, with a special edition of the free workshops “Hands On”, dedicated to waterproofing and repairing houses, in a calendar with more than 80 sessions in 15 stores across the country.
From volunteering to responding to natural disasters, LEROY MERLIN reaffirms that positive impact is only real when it is felt in the day-to-day lives of the people and of the communities where the company is embedded.
