Dulux, the UK’s leading paint brand1, has unveiled its Let’s Colour – Colour of the Year Community Initiative, a nationwide campaign inviting the public to nominate local community spaces to win a transformation like no other. As part of the prize, selected spaces will receive a Colour of the Year consultation with Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director at Dulux UK&I, along with the paint needed for your project. To top it off, the community space will be transformed by social enterprise Volunteer It Yourself (‘VIY’), in partnership with Dulux.
Nominators can submit their local community space under one of three categories inspired by this year’s hero palette for Dulux’s Colours of the Year 2026, Rhythm of the Blues – find the right pace for your space:
- Slow Swing Project (spaces to connect, think big and find calm stillness): Healthcare centres, charitable enterprises, or libraries.
- Free Groove Project (spaces to explore, play, and go wild): Sports halls, football clubs, or outdoor areas.
- Mellow Flow Project (spaces to cosy up, connect, and feel welcome): Community centres or multipurpose venues.
The Let’s Colour initiative continues Dulux’s mission to bring communities together through paint by working closely with partner organisations. VIY has been working with Dulux for over five years and, since July 2020, this partnership has supported communities across the UK, with over 120,000 lives positively impacted through transforming over 200+ community spaces using donated Dulux Trade paint.
These projects have successfully supported and developed over 3,000 young people aged 14-24 through taking part. They have also helped train over 2,360 young people in painting and decorating, including over 2,000 City & Guilds accreditations earned, with over half of these in painting and decorating. The winning community spaces will form three of VIY’s community projects.
Becky Orton, Marketing Manager at Dulux, commented:
“Colour has the power to uplift, connect and transform. With Rhythm of Blues, we’re celebrating the different paces of life and giving communities the chance to reflect that in their spaces. This Let’s Colour initiative is about more than paint – it’s about pride, possibility and creating places that feel truly in tune with the people who use them. Together with partners like VIY, we are working to safeguard the future of our evolving industry to ensure it remains vibrant, skilled, and sustainable by building a resilient, talented workforce.”
Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director at Dulux, commented:
“We know how vital community spaces are, but renovations can be costly and time consuming, so we’re excited to be able to step in and help transform a well-loved space in need of new life. Now, we’re calling on the public to help shape the future of their communities – one brushstroke at a time”.
Nominations are now open until Friday 14th November 2025. Submit your local project and tell us why it deserves a Colour of the Year makeover. Winners will receive a full paint transformation using Dulux’s 2026 hero colours and palettes, plus support from the Let’s Colour team, the VIY team and volunteers, and partners.
Nominate your community project today at: www.dulux.co.uk/letscolour2026
- As included in Kantar Brandz’s Most Valuable UK Brands Report 2023 https://www.kantar.com/campaigns/brandz/uk ↩︎
