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Devonshire Homes continues to support disadvantaged young people with £2,900 donation

25 June 2021

West Country house builder Devonshire Homes has donated a further £2,900 to the William Wates Memorial Trust.

Following its donation of £1,000 back in January, this second donation from Devonshire Homes comes as the property market continues to boom. The vital funds have been raised through Devonshire Homes’ open-market sales where £50 is donated to the Trust for every sale.

The funds will help the Trust support projects that encourage young people experiencing severe disadvantage to keep away from a life of crime and violence, enabling them to fulfil their potential. Celebrating the life of William Wates, who was tragically killed whilst travelling in Central America, the Trust gives grants to projects across the country, including the Livewire Youth Music Project in Saltash.

Based only 25 miles from Devonshire Homes’ Kingsbridge site, Applegate Park, Livewire offers support to young people through music and traditional youth work, helping them through the trials and tribulations of growing up. Throughout the pandemic, the charity had to cease its live evening programme, running virtual music lessons instead. As lockdown restrictions begin to ease, LiveWire has announced its live music events will return next year with the first being ‘Rockin’ by the River III’ on 19th March 2022.

From 2017 to 2019, Devonshire Homes has raised £36,000 for other local charities. The award-winning housebuilder hopes to live up to this reputation by continuing to fundraise for the William Wates Memorial Trust this year. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Trust had to cancel its popular cycle challenge, Le Loop, for the second year running, however it’s running the 100 Club Challenge in its place. Devonshire Homes staff are busy formulating a plan on what they will do for their own 100 Club Challenge to help raise as much as possible for the Trust.

Jane Pearce, Joint Acting Managing Director of Devonshire Homes, commented:

“We’re delighted to donate a further £2,900 to the William Wates Memorial Trust. We have seen a string of completions across all of our developments and this has meant we can donate more to charity, giving back to our local community. We will continue to fundraise for the Trust throughout 2021 to support projects which span the country as well as close to home.”

Rick Wates, William Wates Memorial Trust Trustee, commented: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to Devonshire Homes for its latest donation to the William Wates Memorial Trust. It is great to be working with a housebuilder that gives back to their local community as well as providing high-quality homes for local house hunters. Donations, however big or small, are vital now more than ever. The pandemic has hit charities hard. Many, like the LiveWire music project, have been unable to hold their fundraising events so have really taken a hit. Now that lockdown restrictions are starting to ease, charities are now entering a period of recovery and these donations give them a vital boost to help them deliver essential services for people in need.”

Independent housebuilder Devonshire Homes, based in Tiverton, has been creating new homes and communities in towns and rural areas across Devon and Cornwall since 1992. Current developments include: Tarka View, Crediton; Longston Cross, Bovey Tracey; Gwallon Keas, St. Austell and Applegate Park, Kingsbridge.