Housebuilder offers good causes £24,000 windfall

Regional housebuilder Persimmon Homes Wessex has announced the launch of a £24,000 community fund to support local groups and charities.

The Malmesbury-based housebuilder, which has developments across Swindon, Trowbridge, Salisbury and Didcot, is launching Persimmon Community Champions, through which charities and groups can apply for funding up to the value of £1,000 to match money they have already raised themselves.

Nationwide, the company will donate a total of £750,000.

Steve Roche, managing director of Persimmon Homes Wessex, said the community initiative was a way of supporting people across every city, town and village where the company works.

“This is an extremely proud day for the whole business. We have always supported charities but we have never come together with such a large pot of money. We hope that our funding of £24,000 can make a huge difference across every community.

“Nationally, every one of our regional businesses has two grants of up to £1,000 each to give away every month. That’s £2,000 a month from 24 regional teams plus a further £2,000 from our PLC head office and Space4 timber frame business.

Persimmon is set for further growth this year on the back of an excellent 2014. The Group legally completed 13,509 homes last year.

The company is calling on groups and charities to apply for funding, with the first grants being issued in March 2015.

“We want to hear from all types of groups and charities,” explained Steve. “You may be a small scout group looking for funding for a trip, a school PTA looking to create a vegetable patch or a community swimming club looking to offer further classes to the local community.

“We want to hear from everyone as we’re determined to invest our money where it will help the most. All we ask is that the group or charity has already worked hard to raise money themselves, and we will then match this effort with funding of up to £1,000.”

To apply for funding, visit www.persimmonhomes.com/charity