Member Article

Hampshire housebuilder bosses “dig in” to help Fareham children’s charity

Barratt Homes has swapped building tools for gardening equipment to provide some vital volunteer support to Second Chance Children’s Charity in Fareham.

The leading housebuilder, which is bringing new homes to Hampshire, sent in a group of its managers to help the children’s charity on 21st September, and they got straight to work on its outside space.

Second Chance, located in Titchfield, is a charity caring for children who need help –youngsters who’ve been abused, who come from a poverty-stricken background or have learning difficulties. It teaches inner-city children life skills by using the countryside and its facilities to learn like a forest school.

The 10-strong team of Barratt volunteers, including Managing Director James Dunne, spent the day digging, planting, and putting up fencing in the charity’s gardens. Doug Hulme, Chief Executive at Second Chance, said he was extremely grateful for their hard work.

He said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Barratt’s group of corporate volunteers here today. Second Chance works with children who need a second chance at equal opportunities – children who have slipped through the net, and through no fault of their own, find themselves with less facility and ability to flourish in life.

“Our outside space is a valuable resource, and whilst work ethic is one of the things we like to teach, it’s not always possible to get everything that needs to be done completed. Maintenance and planting are two big considerations that as a small charity we have difficulty completing.

“On behalf of everyone, I would like to thank Barratt for their amazing support. We couldn’t have got all this work done without them.”

Anthony Dimmick, Barratt Homes Community Liaison Manager is thrilled the housebuilder has had the opportunity to offer its volunteering help to such a worthwhile charity in the region.

He said: “We want to support organisations in the communities where we are building new homes, and Second Chance is providing a remarkable service to young people in the local area. It’s been a pleasure to help.”

Second Chance was founded in 1984 and grew from the work of the founder and present chief executive Doug Hulme in special schools. It was originally known as “The Foster an Angler” charity because it took children from deprived backgrounds camping and fishing.

Now the charity is a nationally established independent and innovative social agency with many resources and skills at its disposal. It still takes youngsters fishing and uses the medium of this popular leisure time activity to establish links and lines of communication between the youngsters and the volunteer adults, and to give children a sense of achievement, confidence, and a social understanding.

Barratt Homes is bringing new homes across Hampshire. It is committed to supporting local causes which improve the quality of life for those living in the region, and its employees are all entitled to two days per year to take as volunteering days, so that they can work for a local charity of their choosing.

For more information visit barratthomes.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Barratt Homes .