Local Housebuilder Fuels Young Imagination with Donation to Reading Bus

Research from the National Literacy Trust’s Children and Young People’s Reading report in 2025 reveals that the percentage of young people who say that they enjoy reading is at its lowest in 20 years1. Looking to tackle this issue, housebuilder David Wilson Homes has recently supported ‘Friends of Palace Wood’, a charity close to its The Poppies development in Maidstone, with a £1,500 donation for a new reading bus.
Based in Maidstone, Friends of Palace Wood focuses its efforts on fundraising for Palace Wood Primary School. The charity gives the school the means to provide pupils with a wealth of experiences and education support including the refurbished library bus. The funds have supported the charity’s refurbishment of an old bus, transforming it into an outdoor library to encourage young people to read more.
The £1,500 donation is from The Barratt Foundation, the housebuilder’s charity partnership, which aims to support local charities and groups wherever Barratt Redrow operates across the UK.
A representative from Friends of Palace Wood, commented: “David Wilson Kent’s support has allowed us to create Palace Wood Primary School’s brand-new reading bus which was inspired by the lack of interest towards literacy and reading. From sourcing the old bus, refurbishing its interiors and stocking the library space with exciting material for the children to read, we’ve been hard at work making sure this is a resource that lasts. We are looking forward to seeing the pupils take advantage of this new way of learning and hopefully will see our children fall back in love with reading!”
Natalie Perry, Sales and Marketing Director at David Wilson Kent, added: “We all know how important reading is, not just for children but for everyone. Hearing the news that the number of young people enjoying reading is at its lowest level in 20 years was a real wake-up call. The Friends of Palace Wood’s idea to create a reading bus caught our attention and I’m proud that as a division we have supported them in achieving the end result. We hope that the pupils of Palace Wood Primary School love the new library and get stuck in with finding some new books to read during the summer.”
David Wilson Kent is currently selling a selection of three- and four-bedroom homes at The Poppies, with prices starting from £449,995. There are a number of incentives available on select homes, including the Movemaker and the Key Worker Deposit Contribution scheme.