Charity

Bovis Homes backs Worcester charities with £4,500 cash boost

- 07 May 19

Three Worcester charities will receive an extra cash boost thanks to a local housebuilder and backing from the Mayor.

Bovis Homes has donated £4,500 to the charities supported by the Mayor of Worcester, Councillor Jabbar Riaz. The donation will benefit St Richard’s Hospice, Worcester Community Trust and the Worcester Live Charitable Trust.

“On behalf of the charities I am extremely grateful to Bovis Homes for this donation,” says Cllr Riaz. “I am confident that the funds will be gratefully received and put to good use. I am sure the charities will welcome Bovis Homes back to see the good work which has taken place thanks to their donation.”

Keith Carnegie, CEO of Partnership Housing at Bovis Homes, and Kevin Wilkins, Group Marketing Director, joined Councillor Riaz and representatives from the charities at the Worcester Guildhall to present the cheque.

“We are delighted to support these fantastic local charities and it was a pleasure to find out more about the work they do to support the community,” says Keith.

Left to right: Kevin Wilkins, Cllr Riaz and Keith Carnegie
“The Mayor’s charity fundraising is a great way of bringing local organisations together to raise money for worthy causes and we are proud to have played a part in this.”

Claire James, fundraiser at St Richard’s Hospice, said: “We would like to thank Bovis Homes for supporting our care with its kind donation. Every penny will go towards helping us continue caring for patients, loved ones and bereaved people across the county.
“We would also like to thank Councillor Riaz for his fantastic support in selecting St Richard’s as one of his chosen charities, during his year as Mayor.”

St Richard’s Hospice was established in 1984 and serves Worcester and the surrounding area. It provides care for over 3,300 adults with serious progressive illnesses, improving their quality of life. It also provides support for their loved ones and the bereaved.

Chris Jaeger, chief executive at Worcester Live Charitable Trust, said: “I would like to say a huge thank you on behalf of all of us at Worcester Live Charitable Trust, to both Bovis Homes, for their incredibly generous donation, and to the Mayor, for having chosen us as one of his charities.

“Times are tough, so a donation like this makes a huge difference to us and plays a big part in making sure that we are able to continue offering the local community a really diverse and exciting arts programme.”

Worcester Live Charitable Trust is the main arts provider in the city and runs the annual Worcester Festival. Running from two arts venues, Huntingdon Hall and The Swan Theatre, the organisation also holds Youth Theatre groups throughout the year as well as dance classes for people of all ages.

Ruth Heywood, director of business development at Worcester Community Trust, said: “We are very grateful for the support from Bovis Homes. This generous donation will enable us to continue our delivery to support people who are experiencing challenging times. Our focus for the year is to increase support for people with their mental health and well-being. WCT is committed to offering support and opportunities for people to come together, build friendships and learn new skills.”

Worcester Community Trust has six community centres across the city and runs 10 projects, with the aim of improving conditions of life. The charity has a focus on improving mental wellbeing, enhancing lives and bringing people together, and provides support to people throughout the community.

“I selected these three organisations as they are all well-known, local charities that do fantastic work for the community,” says Cllr Riaz. “They are all very distinct in what they do and are at the very heart of our communities.

“It’s been a fantastic year and I’m very proud of the amount raised for the three charities.”

Bovis Homes is part of the Worcestershire community with its Pear Tree Walk location in Drakes Broughton, St James Green location in Welland and Millwood Meadows location in Redditch.