Tag Archives: donation

Business, Driving, Transport

Veezu donates £1000 to Wolverhampton Wanderers Foundation

VEEZU, Wolverhampton’s fastest growing private hire operator, has donated £1000 to Wolverhampton Wanderers Foundation through the Funded by Veezu programme.

Funded by Veezu is an initiative in which local residents, charities and sports teams can apply for funding and grants, set up to improve the communities in which Veezu operates.

Wolverhampton Wanderers Foundation is the official charity of Wolves FC and has delivered over 45 unique projects across the city in health and wellbeing, developing education and skills, and encouraging community. The Foundation supports people of all ages and abilities.

Kieron Ansell, Wolves Foundation Business Development Manager Business said: “We are really appreciative of the generous donation made by Veezu and would like to pass on the thanks of everyone at Wolves Foundation for the support.

“This funding is the only way we can deliver these wide-ranging works. In supporting us with this donation, Veezu are directly impacting our projects and helping us to make a positive difference in our local communities.”

Graham Hoof, Regional Operations Director for Veezu, said: “The Wolverhampton Wanderers Foundation does incredible work in supporting the Wolverhampton community. We are delighted to be giving back and contributing towards building better outcomes for the people of Wolverhampton.

“Working within the community is a big part of what we do at Veezu, and we want to support as many local groups and charities as we can. Funded by Veezu has already been incredibly successful in making the work of local groups and charities possible, and we look forward to making a positive impact for the Wolverhampton Wanderers Foundation.”

Transport

Veezu supports Meersbrook Bank Primary School’s playground renovation project

Veezu has donated £1000 to Meersbrook Bank Primary School to aid the school’s ongoing efforts to enhance their outdoor spaces.

Meersbrook Bank embarked on their playground renovation project last year, raising funds through sponsored cycles, bake sales and corporate sponsorship. Over Christmas the first phase was carried out, partially replacing dangerous surfacing in the foundation unit, and introducing a play tower, construction area and water play area. With six phases in total, the project is estimated to cost around £200,000.

The Funded by Veezu donation has been allocated to the purchase of wooden playground equipment for pupils to play, socialise, and develop essential skills outside the classroom environment.

Sacha Skinner, Regional Marketing Manager at Veezu, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Meersbrook Bank on their mission to create a safe and fun outdoor environment for students. The wooden playground equipment is a great addition to the playground, and we can’t wait to visit again and see the complete renovation.”

Mrs Harvey, Head Teacher of Meersbrook Bank Primary School, expressed her gratitude for the donation, stating: “Outdoor play is a crucial part of primary education and has huge benefits for children’s physical and mental health and wellbeing.

“The children are working hard to organise their own fundraising activities, but corporate sponsorship is vital to complete this project. We are extremely grateful for Veezu’s generous donation which has contributed to the enhancement of the outdoor play experience.”

For more information about the Funded by Veezu initiative, please visit: https://www.veezu.co.uk/funded-by-veezu

Business, Charity, Charity News, Driving, News, Transport

Veezu donates £11k to Childline Cymru

VEEZU, Wales’ leading private hire technology platform, has donated £10,989 to NSPCC Cymru following a month’s fundraising activity. 

 

Veezu donated a portion of its margin from more than 100,000 rides in South Wales, booked via its app in December, to cover the expenses of 2,700 calls to Childline during the festive season as part of its Funded by Veezu program. 

 

Funded by Veezu offers residents, charities and sports teams the opportunity to apply for funding and grants to help support them with their local community initiatives. 

 

NSPCC Cymru provides support to children, families and professionals in caring for their children and providing therapeutic assistance to help children move on from abuse. Childline is a free service for children and young people in need of support or advice who delivered an average of 16,300 counselling sessions a month last year. 

 

This is not the first time that Veezu is supporting NSPCC Cymru, as they annually donate to the charity through their Childline Club Cymru membership. 

 

Hywel Peterson, Chairman at NSPCC Cymru, said: “We’re incredibly thankful for Veezu’s generous donation. It will make us make a big difference and help us ensure that our trained volunteer counsellors can be there for every child across Wales, whenever they need us most.  

 

Nathan Bowles, CEO at Veezu, said: “We are delighted to have raised so much for NSPCC Cymru. Their work is of incredible importance and is one that we admire so highly here at Veezu. I feel privileged to be able to contribute to their life-changing work.” 

 

Charity & CSR, Construction, News

Housebuilder donates £500 to support charities food parcel project

A Bury St Edmunds-based charity was given an extra helping hand towards its Christmas project to provide 600 food parcels for vulnerable people throughout East Anglia.

Gatehouse, which is based at Dettigen Way, was given £500 by local housebuilder Bellway Eastern Counties, which is building new homes at Bronze Fields in Bury St Edmunds, as well as other locations across Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Lincolnshire.

Amanda Bloomfield, CEO of Gatehouse, said: “In 2021 we delivered 600 food parcels to the vulnerable and the needy just in time for Christmas.

“The average cost of a food parcel is £10, so Bellway’s very kind donation directly impacted 50 families who are in need, across East Anglia.

“The project aims to deliver parcels to families from all walks of life, including those in emergency need. It is essential we try and help at a time which can be really difficult for many people.

“The charity has been running since 1986 and was originally set up as a Christian family service. We currently have some paid staff members and 25 longstanding volunteers.

“We have around 100 volunteers on Christmas Day, as we also provide a three-course meal and entertainment for people who would normally be alone at Christmas.”

The Christmas Project is one of four project areas covered by Gatehouse’s work. The charity also runs a foodbank, a community wellbeing project and a home store, which provides donated furniture and appliances to those on benefits or with low incomes.

Head of Sales for Bellway Eastern Counties, Rhiannon Jones, said: “The winter period can be difficult for a lot of struggling families and it’s projects like this that can make that time a little easier.

“The work Gatehouse does throughout the year is incredibly important and helps hundreds of people in need.

“As a local housebuilder, we are pleased to be able to help a charity that directly benefits those living in the local communities in which we build.”

More information about Gatehouse is available on the charity’s website at www.gatehouse.org.uk.

For details about Bellway’s new homes in the area, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/eastern-counties/bronze-fields or call the sales office on 01284 545375.

Captions:

  • Amanda Bloomfield, CEO of Gatehouse, with Rachael Gatehouse, Sales Manager for Bellway Eastern Counties
Charity & CSR, News

Bedfont Scientific Ltd. spreads festive joy by donating 250 presents this Christmas

Bedfont and its sponsored football team, Medway United FC, have teamed up to donate 125 gifts to Medway hospital and 125 gifts to Children’s Cancer Charity, My Shining Star

Medical device manufacturer, Bedfont Scientific Ltd., has joined forces with the local football team it sponsors, Medway United FC, to spread a little Christmas Joy by donating 250 gifts. On Tuesday 14th December, Bedfont and Medway United donated 125 gifts to Medway Hospital for the children who will there over Christmas, and another 125 gifts to the children’s cancer charity ‘My Shining Star’ also based in Medway.

Jason Smith, Managing Director at Bedfont, “Winston Churchill said, ‘We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.’ Medway United and Bedfont are happy to spread some festive cheer at a time of year, which can be so difficult for many.”

Cherly Jones, Fundraising Officer at the Medway Hospital Charity, “We are extremely grateful to Bedfont and Medway United for their incredible donation of presents to our children’s ward at Medway Hospital.  Their generosity is very much appreciated, especially at this time of year, and I know our patients will be thrilled to receive them.”

Charity & CSR, News

Furniture donation boosts coffers of homelessness charity

A homelessness charity which lost £250,000 in revenue during the pandemic has received a timely boost from a Cambridgeshire housebuilder.

Bellway donated all the showhome furniture from its sold-out The Furrows development in Warboys to Emmaus Cambridge, for sale in the charity’s shop in Landbeach.

The charity, which was founded in Cambridge and is celebrating its 30th birthday this year, now has 29 ‘communities’ in the UK which are helping more than 800 people work their way back into society.

Diane Docherty, chief executive of Emmaus Cambridge, said: “We have a site in Landbeach, near Cambridge, which is a social enterprise community.

“We are providing homes, work and support here for 44 people who have found themselves homeless due to a variety of reasons which can include family breakdown, spells in prison or addiction to drink or drugs. What we do is offer long-term support to our ‘companions’ by giving them a full-time job in our shop or café or by teaching them how to drive or allowing them to study for college qualifications.”

Diane said that the charity, which is self-funded, lost a quarter of a million pounds in revenue due to the coronavirus crisis.

“We had to close for seven months and had to furlough staff and we reckon that we lost about £250,000 due to that whole situation,” said Diane. “We need about £1.3 million to run this social enterprise each year so you can see that is a massive hit.

“This donation from Bellway is very much appreciated. We have a shop where we sell second-hand goods and people were wanting to buy the furniture before we had even got it off the van.

“The furniture was brand new and so stylish and lovely. It beautified our shop and made the place look good. The furniture flew out of the shop and made us more than £1,000. We need to try to make up what we lost during the pandemic and this is a great boost.”

Emma Thomson, Sales Manager for Bellway Eastern Counties, said: “Emmaus Cambridge does amazing work to try to help people get their lives back on track.

“As a local housebuilder we are always looking at ways we can support the local community. This charity, like most, was very badly hit by the pandemic. It receives no central funding and has to generate its own income to survive.

“We were happy to be able to donate the furniture from a showhome and are delighted to hear that the sale of it raised more than a thousand pounds.”

The Furrows development has sold out, but Bellway is currently building new homes at two other developments in Cambridgeshire – The Vickers in Witchford and Bassingbourn Fields in Fordham.

For information about these developments, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/eastern-counties.

CAPTION:

  • Bellway Sales Manager Emma Thomson and Head of Sales Rhiannon Jones with Emmaus volunteers Graham Haynes and David Westhead
Charity & CSR, Midlands News, News, Property

Foodbank receives support from city housebuilder

A city foodbank charity which fed 35,000 people last year has been given a funding boost by a local housebuilder.

Coventry Foodbank, which has the largest foodbank warehouse in the country and gave out 280 tons of food last year, has been given £500 by Bellway’s South Midlands division, which has its regional headquarters in the city.

The foodbank, which was set up 10 years ago, is based at the Halo Centre in Progress Way. It provides a box of three days’ worth of food supplies and toiletries to people who are given food vouchers by a range of agencies including the city council, the NHS and Citizens Advice.

Hugh McNeill, project manager at Coventry Foodbank, said: “We are funded by public donations which provide us with the financing to ensure we can carry on providing food at our 12 foodbank centres in the city.

“This very generous donation from Bellway will give us a much-welcome boost after a very hard time for everyone. The public have continued to support us incredibly well during the pandemic but things have been tough.

“In 2019, we fed 28,000 people and last year we fed 35,000 people. Of that number, approximately 14,000 will be children under the age of 16.

“In the first few weeks of the pandemic, with people being furloughed and laid off, we saw a 100 per cent increase in people accessing our foodbanks. That demand eased off but we have been busier than ever.

“We will use the £500 to support our commercial kitchen project. We are setting up a kitchen in the warehouse so that we can train people with catering skills.

“While we train the people they will be making ready meals or soup for use at the foodbank. The idea is to furnish them with skills that can be used to help them gain employment.

“We very much see this sort of training programme, which will also include any tutoring people may need to gain maths or English skills, as the future role of foodbanks.

“Our ethos is that this foodbank should be a hand-up not a hand-out and the money from Bellway will help us provide that.”

Elaine Brown, Head of Sales at Bellway South Midlands, said: “The pandemic lockdown must have put an incredible strain on charities such as the Coventry Foodbank for many reasons.

“This is a brilliant charity that is funded by public donations which allow it to carry on its work and can literally be life-saving. Their food boxes help put food on the tables of thousands and thousands of men, women and children in Coventry every year.

“We are always pleased to support local charities who do such good work to support people and families and there is no doubt that Coventry Foodbank is at the forefront of reaching out and providing immediate and much-needed assistance and support to the local community.”

For more information about the charity visit coventry.foodbank.org.uk.

Bellway’s South Midlands division is currently based at Oak House, Binley Business Park, having recently relocated to new larger premises in the city.

The housebuilder is also building new homes at developments in Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Worcestershire and Northamptonshire.

For more information about any of the developments visit bellway.co.uk.

CAPTIONS –

  • Jeané Izautenbach (left) from the Halo Centre, Coventry with Jess Bray (right) of Bellway South Midlands
Midlands News, News, Property

Mental health charity able to continue renovation thanks to housebuilder’s donation

A local housebuilder is supporting a Bicester-based charity providing mental health support for young people.

Bellway South Midlands, which is building new homes across Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire, has donated £500 to Nai’s House, which will go towards the renovation of the charity’s new premises at Garth House, off Launton Road in the town.

The charity provides a blended youth and well-being service that offers a new way to access mental health support. The renovation work will include soundproofing to ensure the confidentiality of conversations between visitors and volunteers.

Gemma Barrett, founder of Nai’s House, said: “We are so grateful for Bellway’s generosity and support to Nai’s House.

“We want to be able to provide a safe and welcoming environment for our visitors and this donation will help us do that.

“I founded the charity in 2017 after I lost my daughter Dené and the charity is in her memory. I started developing the model in January 2019 and we opened the doors at Kingsmere Community Centre in September 2019.

“We have faced a lot of challenges – especially with Covid meaning we had to shut down – but we have started to gain momentum again and moved premises to Garth House.

“The main work we do is to provide one-to-one support and counselling for those struggling with mental health and suicide ideation. We are in the process of developing our relationship with local schools to start working with them to help their pupils.

“We think of creative ways of working with young people and concentrate on well-being and youth work, as our volunteers aren’t from a clinical or medical background. We offer holistic work such as massages, reiki, aromatherapy, yoga and meditation and similar activities which distract sufferers’ minds from their self-destructive thoughts.

“As well as supporting those struggling with mental health themselves, we also offer support for parents and caregivers looking after someone with mental health conditions.”

Elaine Brown, Head of Sales for Bellway South Midlands, said: “We are pleased to be able to support a charity which does such important work for young people in the local community.

“The past year has been difficult for many young people, as they’ve not been able to socialise or interact with others, and this has had a negative effect on some people’s mental health. Coupled with the lack of events allowed to go ahead due to restrictions, fundraising has been next to impossible for many charities such as this one, which is why we are glad to be able to help such a worthwhile cause.

“Gemma and her volunteers work for free, many alongside a full-time job, and the charity relies solely on fundraising and donations from the council and businesses like Bellway.”

To find out more about Nai’s House, visit the website naishouse.org.uk.

For more information about Bellway’s new homes across the region, visit bellway.co.uk.

CAPTIONS –

  • Clare Bricknell, Angela Nurse and Gemma Barrett
  • (Left to Right) Shiron McGregok, Gemma Barrett, Clare Bricknell, Angela Nurse (Bellway), Ali Allen, Amber Knewman
Charity & CSR, News

YMCA Bedfordshire receives donation towards hunger prevention project

A local housebuilder has donated 10 slow cookers to a community project helping low-income families in Bedfordshire.

Bellway Northern Home Counties – which is building new homes across Bedfordshire – provided the slow cookers to Bedford Borough’s #NoToHungerInBedfordBorough project, of which YMCA Bedfordshire Food4 community larder is a participant.

The scheme was set up to link local businesses, food banks, donors and people who need support to ensure that nobody has to go hungry this winter.

As part of the scheme, the group is asking for donations of new slow cookers, as many low-income families struggle with utility bills – and it costs just 21p in electricity to prepare a family meal with a slow cooker.

Research by the Food Foundation in September revealed that 12 per cent of UK families reported skipping meals because they could not afford or access food.

Established in 1986, YMCA Bedfordshire supports local communities through a range of services including its Food4 community larder, which is based at 3 Church Arcade via Dane Street.
Marketing and Partnerships Manager for YMCA Bedfordshire, Paul Kellett, said: “The pandemic has meant we have seen a large increase in requests for food support throughout 2020.

“We see approximately 150 households per week and deliver to a further 65 which is way more than we saw this time last year.

“One of the many ways we’re working to make sure no one goes hungry is to join with other food and support charities to offer a joined-up approach through the #NoToHungerInBedfordBorough campaign which is proving a great initiative.”

Sales Director for Bellway Northern Home Counties, Luke Southgate, said: “When we saw the call-out for slow cookers we were more than happy to help, especially as the pandemic has meant there is a greater need for support for charities such as YMCA Bedfordshire.

“We hope our donation to the #NoToHungerInBedfordBorough campaign will help to make a positive difference to the families it supports.”

To donate to the #NoToHungerInBedfordBorough project, visit oneymca.org/notohungerinbedfordborough-donate.

Bellway is building new homes in Wootton at Berry Wood, in New Cardington at Eastcotts Green and Eastcotts Place, in Bidwell at Brambleside, in Houghton Regis at Linmere, in Leighton Buzzard at Lestone Mews, and in Wixams at Brook View.

For more information on the new homes Bellway is building in Bedfordshire, visit bellway.co.uk.

Charity & CSR, Construction, News

Housebuilder backs campaigning aunt for the installation of a new defibrillator

Bellway has donated £620 towards a fundraising campaign to install defibrillators in pubs in Milton Keynes.

Bellway was contacted by Heather McBurnie, 48, who lives in Woburn Sands and plans to fund defibrillators for pubs in the area in memory of her niece, Sarah.

She approached the company as its divisional headquarters is located in Caldecotte and work is currently underway at Bellway’s new Wavendon Chase development in Wavendon.

Heather, who works at New City Heating in Bletchley, said: “I was astounded when I found out how much money Bellway wanted to contribute to my campaign. I had been fundraising for one defibrillator, but this donation enabled me to think about raising enough for two, therefore covering more areas.

“It’s a wonderful thing to see people helping and supporting this cause, as it really helps to reduce the impact of a similar events on the lives of other families.
“A defibrillator could have saved Sarah’s life and it is kind donations towards life-saving equipment that will make such a difference to the lives of local people here.”

Sarah was just 17 when she unexpectedly suffered a heart attack on a bus in 2015. During the 20-minute wait for an ambulance, she suffered brain damage from which she would not recover.

The family live in Havant in Hampshire and Sarah’s parents, Alan and Anna, have already raised cash to fund defibrillators at bus stations in the area. Heather promised to continue the fundraising efforts in her own home town.

Luke Southgate, Sales Director for Bellway Northern Home Counties, said: “When Heather approached us about her fundraising campaign, we were keen to help.

“Sarah’s story is heart-wrenching, especially knowing that a defibrillator could have saved her. It is hard to imagine a better cause than one which directly helps to save lives.

“We wish Heather the best of luck with her ongoing fundraising campaign.”

So far, £1,710 of the increased £2,000 target has been raised. Heather recently kayaked from Sarah’s birthplace in Coventry to Milton Keynes to help bolster the total.

Once the target is achieved, the defibrillators will be installed at The Station Tavern and The Fir Tree Inn in Woburn Sands.

To donate to Heather’s fundraiser, visit http://justgiving.com/crowdfunding/heather-mcburnie-1