North-east charities get Yuletide boost from Barratt

A MORAY charity has joined a wide list of organisations to benefit from a major housebuilders Christmas fund.

MFR Radio Cash For Kids Mission Christmas, along with the likes of NSPCC Aberdeen Childline and Charlie House, Aberdeen, have been handed a boost thanks to Barratt Developments' Community Fund. It has been a record-breaking year for the fund, with donations topping £46,000, including £20,000 in the north of Scotland alone.

Each year, the five-star housebuilder works with a wide range of local causes and has continued to step up its efforts through the Barratt and David Wilson Community Fund, which donates £1000 to a deserving local cause in each of its three Scottish divisions every month.

The charities are nominated and voted by employees of Barratt Homes with the focus of fund continuing to be on organisations that improve the quality of life for those living in the area and important issues which worsened due to the pandemic.

Barratt North Scotland’s final Community Fund donations of 2020 have gone to Charlie House, helping with the charity’s Big Build Appeal. Launched in 2018, the Big Build appeal aims to raise £8 million to build a specialist support centre in Aberdeen. The 8-bedroom facility will offer parents and carers respite, safe in the knowledge that the children with complex disabilities will be in the care of specially trained medical staff.

Mental Health Aberdeen – Barratt North Scotland’s charity of the year – has received donations totalling £8,000 thanks to fundraising efforts by employees and match-funding from the housebuilder. The charity has been selected once again as Barratt’ North Scotland’s 2021 charity of the year.

In April of this year, the housebuilder donated over 2,300 items of PPE equipment to hospitals around Scotland to help frontline NHS workers and staff in the fight against COVID-19. The company also donated 44 defibrillators from its divisional head offices and constructions sites to St Andrew’s First Aid, who assist the NHS and ambulance service on the frontline should they be called upon.

Douglas McLeod, Barratt Developments’ Regional Managing Director for Scotland, said: “As the country’s leading housebuilder, we are committed to creating a positive legacy and making a genuine contribution towards the communities in which we build our homes.

“We are extremely proud of this year’s achievement, as it’s become even more apparent how incredibly important it is to support those around us during these unexpected and difficult times.”

“We looking forward to working with many more organisations and raising even more funds as we go into 2021 and beyond. We would like to thank everyone who suggested the charities, supported our fundraising activity and wish everyone a happy and healthy Christmas and prosperous new year.”

Susan Crighton, Director of Fund-raising at Charlie House, commented: “We are delighted to have received this very generous donation from the Barratt Community Fund towards our Big Build Appeal to build a specialist support centre right here in Aberdeen for babies, children and young people with complex disabilities and life-limiting conditions, and their families.

“This facility will be the first of its kind in the north-east and will benefit families across the region by providing local access to planned and emergency short breaks, palliative care and end of life care. Thank you Barratt for helping us move a step closer to making this incredible support centre a reality.”