Housebuilder’s grand donation in tune with men’s wellbeing project

A popular project to promote friendship, wellbeing and good mental health for older men has been awarded £1,000 from a leading builder’s Community Champions fund.

Bideford Men’s Shed project has been handed £1,000 from Persimmon Homes South West’s Community Champions fund to help fund more tools for the project which sees members make and mend items for the local community.

Brian Hopkins, who made the successful funding application, said: “Bideford Men’s Shed is a place to pursue practical interests at leisure, to practice skills and enjoy making and mending and about social connections and friendship building – promoting the wellbeing of lonely and elderly people.

“Bideford Men's Shed is affiliated to the 700 sheds in the UK through the UK Men's Shed Association. We have raised more than £7,000 to erect, insure, furnish and fix electricity for the shed. We have some donated tools but to be able to open after lockdown we shall need more. We have 30 members of waiting to start making and mending for the community and this donation will make such a difference to us.

Stacey Harris, sales director at Persimmon Homes South West, said: “We receive many entries every month for our Community Champions scheme, and it is great to come across a group such as the Bideford Men’s Shed which, not only provides friendships and support, but also strives to help the wider community and we’re thrilled to hand over £1,000 funding to the project.”

Persimmon Homes South West launched Community Champions in 2015 with a view to helping community groups, charities and good causes across the county.

However, as the nation continues to feel the effect of the Covid-19 outbreak, the housebuilder feels that, at the moment, elderly communities are in the most need of support.

Each month the Exeter-based builder donates up to £2,000 to community groups across the region. This also happens across Persimmon’s other 31 operating areas, meaning up to £64,000 is dished out every single month – a total of £768,000 a year.