Allison Partnerships’ Pledge gives three Bourne charities a boost

We are thrilled to have donated £12,000 to three Bourne-based charities, as part of our pledge to support the communities in which we build.

The donation signals an important new chapter for our business, as we drive forward our new ‘Partnerships’ division – dedicated to supporting our strategic partners in their delivery of integrated solutions to the housing and social care crises.

As part of our pledge to support these communities, Allison Partnerships has committed to donating £100 to a local charity for every new home contracted through a partnership scheme.

The development at Manning Road in Bourne, known as ‘Mays Place’ will deliver 121 high-quality affordable new homes (for rent or sale), created in partnership with Longhurst Group, a leading housing association operating in the Midlands and East of England who we have worked closely with to identify the three local charities to support.

As part of the partnership agreement that led to Mays Place becoming a reality, Longhurst Group bought a parcel of land on Manning Road from us. We are carrying out the construction work on-site as part of the overall contract.

John Anderson, our CEO and Christine Steele from Longhurst Group presented the cheque to representatives from the three charities last week, at the site of the partners’ Manning Road development.

Our chosen charities, Toolbar, Don’t Lose Hope and The Butterfield Centre have each received a £4,000 donation from our charitable scheme, with ongoing support and volunteering activities planned for the future.

The charity leaders met with some of our colleagues, including Andy Richards, Construction Director of Allison Homes and Michael Ramsay, Award-winning Senior Site Manager of the Manning Road development.

John Anderson said: “It has been really special to meet with the leaders of these charities today. They are doing inspirational work to support the community of Bourne, particularly those who are vulnerable and in need. It’s a privilege to be able to support them with this donation.

“Developing meaningful links with the communities that we build in is very important to us, so it’s great to bring our ‘Kindness’ value to life today by supporting these brilliant causes.”

Sophie Kendal, Head of Land & Partnerships for our Central Region said: “These charities mean a lot to the community of Bourne and we’re proud to not only donate funds, but to also raise awareness of them. Good business is about giving back, not just making a profit, so I’m excited to see how our donations will help these charities.”

Nicola Brister, Director of Don’t Lose Hope, said:

“Don’t Lose Hope is a local charity that delivers free, or low-cost counselling to children, young people and adults. We aim to enhance the well-being of all members of our community by providing access to therapeutic and emotional support.

“We offer a number of other services, activities and workshops that people find enormously beneficial for their mental wellbeing. We are very grateful for the generous support from Allison Homes. We have a waiting list for those needing our help and this will go towards providing extra counselling sessions for all ages.”

Roy McKinney, of Toolbar Charity said:

“We are extremely grateful to Allison Homes for their generous contribution to our funds. Our services are free, and we rely on grants and donations to enable us to continue supporting unemployed adults with their job search.

“The donation not only eases the pressure of sourcing funding, but will also enable us to improve our IT, with an improved ‘office’ system. We are also planning to hold a Jobs Fair in Bourne in early 2024, in conjunction with the Stamford Job Centre, and the involvement of local employers. Without their additional financial support, this event would be unlikely to happen.”

Helen Crawford, Chair of The Butterfield Centre, explained what the donation meant to her:

“I would like to share my thanks for the support offered by Allison Homes. The centre continues to provide not only for the elderly but also for the vulnerable and needy. Its service provision can now be enhanced to provide increased provision in what are clearly uncertain times financially.

“Food Poverty is a huge concern worldwide and with the continued support of the Allison Partnerships we can ensure that we are fighting this issue locally. Without their support, the centre would not be able to enhance its service offering.”

Longhurst Group’s Head of Development, Christine Steele said:

“It was wonderful to bring these organisations together. One of our strategic aims is to build and maintain great partnerships and this is an excellent example of that. The very essence of partnerships is about working together – by doing this we can achieve more and help all aspects of our communities to thrive.”

Mays Place will provide a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom homes across a variety of tenures, including Shared Ownership, Rent to Buy and affordable rent.

To learn more about our Partnerships division, please head over to our dedicated page: allison-homes.co.uk/partnerships

For more information about Longhurst Group, please visit: longhurst-group.org.uk