Hat trick of wins for North West Community Fund

Cheshire-based housebuilder, David Wilson Homes North West, is celebrating its most prestigious national award win to date for its innovative North West Community Fund community initiative.

The team picked up the accolade in the Best Community Initiative category at the National Housebuilder Awards 2012, hosted in London on Thursday. The award was presented in national recognition of the positive impact which the North West Community Fund campaign has had on the local communities in the North West.

The National Housebuilder award win completes a trio of industry accolades for the North West Community Fund initiative during the last 12 months, which also includes Gold Award from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) for Corporate Responsibility and the Fresh Award for Community Relations.

Graham Swann, managing director at David Wilson Homes North West explains: “We’re absolutely delighted that our dedication to creating a scheme which makes a genuine impact on local communities has been recognised at the highest possible level.

“At David Wilson Homes North West, we pride ourselves on not only building thoughtfully designed properties that meet the needs of local purchasers, but also on ensuring that these homes form communities in which people aspire to live.”

Launched at the end of 2010, the North West Community Fund initiative offers a dedicated bursary from which groups in the region can apply for a contribution of either volunteered time or finances to support a community project.

Contributions are available from £1 to £1,500 with the only condition being that it is used for something which will genuinely enhance or improve services, facilities or the environment within their local area.

Since its launch, North West Community Fund, has offered its support to more than 40 organisations, charities, schools and volunteer projects, with members of the David Wilson office and site teams having provided more than 200 hours of their time to help out with the projects.

Fundraising events organised by staff teams have also been very successful, contributing more than £15,000 in donations through various activities such a Summer fare, walking challenges and sponsored cycle rides. On top of this, the business has contributed more than £24,000 in donations, ranging from £100 to £1500, to a host of local charities.

Graham continues: “From apprentice schemes, to ecological projects and charity work, we have always been fully committed to supporting the areas in which we build, and the North West Community Fund scheme has provided us with the perfect platform to further strengthen this commitment.

“I would like to thank all of the team for their hard work and for generously giving up their time to support fantastic causes across the North West. This is a wonderful achievement and we are feeling very positive about the prospect of extending this support to new communities throughout the region.”