Member Article

Summer activity club receives cash boost

A regional builder has selected a community education centre management committee to receive a boost to help them fund their summer activity club. Persimmon Homes East Scotland, which has a new development at Heartlands, Colliery Way in Whitburn, donated £500 to the Whitburn Community Education Centre through its Community Champions scheme. The builder chose the group to benefit from its monthly match-funded donation.
Volunteers at the centre applied for the funding to help to cover the costs associated with the Summer Activity Club.
With over 650 children in Whitburn looking for activities during the holidays the club is an essential resource that will run 2 days a week offering healthy activities and a balanced lunch. Derek Bonnar, management committee member, at Whitburn Community Education Centre, said: “We are extremely grateful to Persimmon Homes East Scotland for its support.
“Our volunteers work hard to raise funds for the Summer Activity Club to ensure that young people are aware that their community cares about them and understands the need for fun activities and catered meals in the absence of school meals during the week. “We cater for more than 75 children each day across 14 days in the summer holidays and costs for food, activities and transport all have to be covered by grants and donations which are not easy to secure. “Funding from businesses like Persimmon is invaluable and I am sure that the children that will benefit will genuinely appreciate the support.” The Whitburn community comes together to support the activity club during the holiday period with volunteers from the local organisations, high school seniors, local churches, local sports clubs and support from youth services of the local authority. Jim Kirkpatrick, managing director for Persimmon Homes East Scotland, said: “We are proud to support Whitburn Community Education Centre. Its volunteers provide a community focused service that makes a real difference to families living in the area. “We are currently building new homes at our Heartlands development in Whitburn and felt that it was important to support the community any way we can.” Mr Kirkpatrick added that they receive many worthy applications every month, and urged charities who had not been successful to apply again. To nominate and to find out about the terms and conditions people visit the Persimmon Homes website.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Nicky Hind .