Housebuilder sows the seeds of community with donation to Wokingham charity

The Wokingham Volunteer Centre has received a £1,000 donation from local housebuilder David Wilson Homes, who is currently building its Ashridge Grange development nearby on Warren House Road. The donation, made from the housebuilder’s Community Fund, will help the charity support more vulnerable people in the local area through its gardening scheme. The Community Fund is part of David Wilson Southern Counties’ pledge to invest in the local communities nearby to its developments.

The Wokingham Volunteer Centre provides a variety of free services, such as transport and garden maintenance, to over 700 vulnerable residents in Wokingham. The donation from David Wilson Southern Counties will go towards purchasing new equipment for the organisation’s gardening team ahead of the planting season this spring. The scheme sees volunteers work with more than 160 older and disabled residents who are unable to maintain their own gardens, helping to not only make their gardens enjoyable and safer in the warmer weather, but ensuring regular pastoral support for individuals experiencing social isolation.

Kimberley Benson, Sales and Marketing Director for David Wilson Southern Counties, commented: “We are excited to support The Wokingham Volunteer Centre, and in particular its Green ‘n’ Tidy scheme. With spring and summer approaching, the residents will greatly appreciate being able to enjoy their gardens in the nice weather, when it is crucial to have an outside space that is tidy and safe. We are proud to be a part of this fantastic initiative, and our donation means The Wokingham Volunteer Centre can look after more residents in the area.”

Nick Fellows, Chief Officer for The Wokingham Volunteer Centre, commented: “Our volunteers support vulnerable people in our community through physical and pastoral aid. Often, they are the only people that our clients see from week to week, and so we are able to build a partnership between our clients and volunteers, helping to ease loneliness as well as providing assistance to those who are unable to afford commercial services. Thanks to the donation from David Wilson Southern Counties, we are able to expand the reach of our help.”

David Wilson Southern Counties has incorporated a number of nature-friendly features at its Ashridge Grange development in Wokingham, including nesting boxes for birds, bats and bees, and dedicated hedgehog homes and highways. Currently available is a range of two, three and four-bedroom homes, with prices starting from £424,995 for a two-bedroom home.

To find out more David Wilson Southern Counties or Ashridge Grange, please call 0333 3558 503 or visit www.dwh.co.uk