Housebuilders celebrations help Childline Scotland

Fri, Jun 16th 2006, 11:00

The legal completion of Redrow’s 50,000th new home will potentially help 830 children and young people in danger or distress in Scotland.

 

To mark this momentous occasion Redrow has launched a new charitable trust, The Redrow Foundation, and the first donation has gone to Childline Scotland – at the request of the people who bought that all-important 50,000th home.

David and Louise Lauder, have traded up from a three-bedroom to four-bedroom detached house at Redrow’s Heathfield Park development in Gartcosh, North Lanarkshire.

Already living at Heathfield Park, they loved the location and were impressed with the builder’s house styles, so were happy to choose another Redrow home to accommodate their growing family. Louise is currently expecting a new baby later this year – a brother or sister for their 18-month-old daughter Amy.

News that they were officially Redrow’s 50,000th customers came as a complete surprise to the Lauders and they were delighted when they were invited to choose a charity to receive a £2,500 boost from the newly created Redrow Foundation.

Said David, who works with his father in the family building business, Decal Scotland Limited, in Kirkintilloch: “The fact that we have Amy and a baby on the way influenced our choice of charity. We consider ourselves to be very lucky, we have a nice home and a happy and healthy family. We thought it would be good to give a helping hand to other children living in more difficult circumstances.”

Childline Scotland is the free helpline which provides a telephone counselling service for any children with any problem. Volunteer counsellors listen to children and offer protection, support and advice.

Zoey Faulkner, senior fundraiser with Childline Scotland, commented: “It costs Childline £3 to answer each call and approximately £38 to give in-depth counselling to every child. This donation from Redrow, courtesy of the Lauders, will allow us to answer new calls from 830 children in danger or distress and therefore start getting them the help they need.”

Last year Childline Scotland gave counselling to 30,000 children and young people facing a range of different problems, including bullying, physical and sexual abuse, serious family tensions, pregnancy, substance and alcohol abuse and worries about parents splitting up. However, due to lack of funds, many children still cannot get through.

Zoey added: “We rely on the public, businesses and grant-making trusts for about 80% of our income, and therefore the donation from the Redrow Foundation will make a massive difference and we are very grateful to Redrow and to the Lauder family for thinking of us.”

The launch of the Redrow Foundation was timed to celebrate Redrow’s 50,000th legal completion. The housebuilder has donated an initial sum of £100,000, and will give £50 from every legal completion secured, equating to a total annual contribution of circa £250,000.

Donations from the charitable trust will be particularly aimed at providing accommodation and related assistance - including respite care - for children in need, the elderly, the sick or infirm. The Foundation is now open to approaches from charities working on projects in this area.

The Foundation’s initial trustees include Sir Digby Jones, director-general of the CBI and Paul Pedley, Redrow’s deputy chairman. Paul met with the Lauders at Heathfield Park to present them with the special gift of a commemorative clock and to join them in handing over the first cheque to Childline Scotland.

He said: “The legal completion of our 50,000th new home was a major milestone for Redrow and one that we were keen to mark in a lasting and meaningful way. The creation of the Redrow Foundation is perfect and builds on our wider role of helping to provide social improvement across the communities in which we provide homes.”

Redrow builds circa 5,000 new homes annually across Scotland, England and Wales, offering everything from its innovative and affordable Debut product for first time buyers to contemporary city centre apartments, elegant town houses and detached family homes. The company operates from 13 regional offices – including Redrow Homes (Scotland) in Larbert - and directly employs 1,400 people nationwide.

Charities that meet the criteria and wish to apply for funds from the Redrow Foundation should email: foundation@redrow.co.uk.

For details of Redrow homes in your area – including developments across Scotland’s central belt in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Lanark, Kilwinning, Cambuslang, Gartcosh, Glenboig and Dunfermline - make one call to 0845 676 0500.