Community Involvement

The agreement of planning applications can bring substantial community benefits which are aimed at helping to improve local amenities such as schools, healthcare facilities and transport infrastructure.

This year we have contributed around £30.6 million towards these local community facilities as a result of these arrangements.

We support a number of charitable initiatives throughout the country and we are frequently involved in a number of community activities and sponsorships. During the year we have hosted visits from local schools, donated goods and services and sponsored exhibitions and local sporting events.

Our employees make a very real difference to their communities through charity fund raising, dress-down days and sponsored events, which provide valuable income to local charitable initiatives. We estimate that Bellway employees have donated in the region of £9,500 in 2009/10.

In Gravesend, Kent, the Helen Allison School for autistic children has received support from Bellway to create a safe play area. At Hovington Park in Leeds, the Company has supported a local community project to create new green space and a children’s play area. At Canterbury Gardens in Merseyside, we hosted a local school group who were keen to understand the differences between construction in the 18th and 21st centuries. In aid of the COINS Foundation three members of staff completed the Three Peaks Challenge in under 24 hours raising £5,100. A team from our Cardiff office cycled the entire length of Wales to raise £8,000 which was donated to a school that supports autistic children.

Last year we registered our interest in participating in the “Visit our Schools and Colleges” initiative that is being organised by the Education and Employers Taskforce.

Some of the charitable organisations that we have supported include:

• Land Aid
• Teesside Hospice
• Tiny Lives
• Fairbridge
• Macmillan Cancer Support