
About Us
We’re the charity that’s been there for our sector for nearly two centuries.
Rainy Day Trust is here for anyone working, or who has worked, in the home improvement and home enhancement sector offering the right help, at the right time, at any stage of life. We provide financial grants, debt advice, and counselling when people need it most. We step in early with workplace wellbeing programmes and preventative support that helps people stay on track before problems grow. We’re here for individuals facing hardship, and for businesses that want to look after their people better.
Support that doesn’t wait for a crisis. We are here for our sector, supporting our people every step of the way.
For over 180 years, we’ve supported people in our sector through some of life’s toughest moments. We started with crisis grants. Today, we’re here much earlier, helping individuals, teams, and whole organisations build the resilience to face whatever comes next.
Because no one in our sector should have to face hardship alone.
Why we exist
We’re here to make sure no one in our sector faces hardship alone, at any stage of their working life.

With you from day one
Prevention
From the moment you enter the sector, Rainy Day Trust is with you. Quietly. Consistently. So you always have somewhere to turn.
Why we exist
We’re here to make sure no one in our sector faces hardship alone, at any stage of their working life.

There when it starts
Early intervention
When challenges begin to surface, we step in early. Financial worries, mental health pressures, relationship difficulties, we help people before situations become crises.
Why we exist
We’re here to make sure no one in our sector faces hardship alone, at any stage of their working life.

Here at your lowest point
Crisis support
When things reach breaking point, our safety net is there. Emergency grants, crisis counselling, and urgent practical support, for people who need help now.
Our history
Our story
Rainy Day Trust was established in 1843 with a simple, powerful mission: to support people in our industry when times get tough.
Our people
Our team
We’re a small team with a big mission. Every one of us is here because we believe in what Rainy Day Trust stands for.
Questions
FAQs
Whether you’re an independent retailer or a national business, getting started takes one conversation.
The latest
The latest from Rainy Day Trust
You don’t have to be in crisis to reach out. Whatever you’re facing, we’re here.
What we love most about being a member of Rainy Day Trust is that it has never felt like a bolt-on service, it feels like a meaningful partnership. From the training room to the ongoing support, RDT have taken the time to understand our people and our industry. Our ambassadors left that first session with real tools, confidence and a sense of purpose, and that’s carried through into how we now think about wellbeing day to day. It’s not a tick-box exercise, it’s a cultural shift, and having a partner who keeps showing up for that shift makes all the difference.
Cara Miller
Head of Operations – IRSAP
As a business, we talk a lot about taking care of our people, but partnering with RDT asked us to back that up with action, and to keep backing it up. It’s not been a one-off intervention, it’s an ongoing relationship that’s shaped how we lead. Investing in our people’s wellbeing, and in a partner who understands our sector, is one of the most important decisions we’ve made. The mental health of our workforce isn’t a ‘nice to have’, it’s a leadership responsibility, and RDT have helped us get this right, and keep getting it right.
Andy Phillips
Managing Director – IRSAP
We live in very challenging times, often worrying ones, both at home and internationally. It’s not just the stress and worry these issues cause, but the financial uncertainty too, with rising costs almost everywhere. We see this with our own colleagues, and with the businesses we partner with, which is why this matters so much to us at Barrettine. Having trained ambassadors who truly understand that world, and who our colleagues can trust and turn to for help and guidance, could genuinely save lives. We’re proud to be one of the first companies to have trained ambassadors, and our sincere thanks go to Anna and Roz for making that possible.
Steve Bailey
Managing Director – Barrettine Group
Why Haydon has chosen the Rainy Day Trust
Rainy Day Trust helps people who work, or have worked, in the home improvement and construction supply industries when they face hardship. By supporting the charity, we’re giving back to the people who make our industry stronger.
At Haydon, we believe success is about more than business. Supporting the Rainy Day Trust reflects our commitment to caring for our staff and the wider community and making a positive difference beyond the workplace.
Every fundraiser, donation, and awareness campaign helps provide practical support to individuals and families facing challenging times. By getting involved, our team, clients, and partners can all play a part in creating lasting positive change.
Peter Dickens
Managing Director – Haydon Marketing Limited
What really stood out to me about partnering with Rainy Day Trust is that it doesn’t sit outside the business, it lives inside it, in the people our colleagues already know and trust. That’s what makes it so powerful. This isn’t a one-off training day, it’s an ongoing relationship, and we’re not waiting for someone to hit a crisis point before we act. We’re building something proactive, something sustainable, and something that really does reflect the kind of company Barrettine is and wants to continue to be.
Julian Antony
Divisional Director – Barrettine Group
The BMF represents over 1,000 merchant, supplier and service businesses that collectively employ almost 209,000 people. Their wellbeing must be a priority. Partnering with Rainy Day Trust helps us advance the issues that matter most: promoting mental health, championing equity, inclusion and diversity, and inspiring young people to build careers in a sector that has so much to offer. We are proud to work with Rainy Day Trust to help drive changes that will benefit everyone working in our sector.
John Newcomb
CEO – BMF
I have been impressed with the great work of the RDT for 30 years, and the BHETA team and I are proud to support Rainy Day Trust and the remarkable work it does for people in our industry when life takes an unexpected turn. Through our long-standing partnership, including our support through the Exclusively Housewares show, we have seen how the charity provides practical help and hope to individuals and families during difficult times. Our industry has always been about people supporting people. We encourage other businesses to join us in backing Rainy Day Trust and helping ensure that no one in our industry has to face hardship alone”
Stephen Richardson
General Manager – BHETA
The Dormole Group, consisting of Toolbank, Galleon Fixings, Forgefix, Harrison & Clough, Galleon Tools, Faithfull Tools, Scan PPE, Roughneck, Lighthouse, Core Plus, Uni-Com, ADP Diamond and Rollins Tools, are proud to be working in partnership with RDT. RDT’s role, purpose and strategy aligns perfectly with Dormole’s own people focus and values, with a genuine commitment to promoting and ensuring the health and wellbeing of all our colleagues. RDT has a long, impressive history and tradition of providing help to those colleagues from our industry sector when they have been in most need of support and we are extremely happy to be embarking on the journey together as one of RDT’s Gold members.” Wendy Milne-Bennett, Group HR Director.
Wendy Milne Bennett
Group HR Director – Dormole Ltd



