Member Article

Autism support charity receives £1,000 donation from local housebuilder

Barratt Developments North East, which includes both the Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes brands, has donated £1,000 to Daisy Chain, an autism support charity based in Teesside. Barratt Developments’ donation is part of its unique Community Fund scheme, which allows the housebuilder to support a different local charity or organisation every month.

Established in 2013, Daisy Chain is a haven for families affected by autism. Currently over 2,000 families receive their bespoke support, with attentive care available for parents and carers, as well as outdoor programmes for both children and adults with autism. The charity also has an Award in Education and Training (AET) license, meaning that they can offer training for early years and school education in the local area, as well as Autism Awareness Training for service providers, parents and businesses. Each course is aimed at different individuals to help give them the correct tools and knowledge to be able to support both children and adults on the autistic spectrum.

After extensive fundraising, the doors to Daisy Chain opened one year after its founder, Lesley Hanson, had the dream of opening a charity to support fellow parents and carers of children who were on the autistic spectrum. The charity is now able to offer services to families and individuals, but it still relies on the generous donations of both individuals and local organisations.

Holly Abbott, Corporate Partnership Manager at Daisy Chain, commented: “We are extremely grateful to Barratt Developments for the support of its Community Fund initiative. Many individuals rely heavily on our resources and support, and the £1,000 donation will go a long way in helping us to support families affected by autism in the North East.”

Emily Watson, Sales Manager for the nearby Jubilee Gardens development, commented: “We’re always on the lookout for deserving organisations and charities in the areas that we build to help give them a funding boost, and Daisy Chain is a wonderful cause that we’re so pleased to be able to support with our Community Fund initiative. We do hope that our donation really makes a difference and helps them to continue to provide their fantastic support in the area.”

As part of 2019’s Community Fund initiative, Barratt Developments North East donated £12,000 to various charities and organisations across the North East region, including Dementia Matters, Morpeth Mental Health and Newcastle West End Food Bank.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Richard Savage .