NHS patients first to benefit from housebuilder's new £1,000 community hand-outs

The initiative by Barratt Developments North East, will support the local communities in which it builds.

The Community Fund will see the housebuilder donate up to £1,000 each month to a community group or charity across the North East region.

As part of the new Community Fund scheme, the NHS Vocational Rehabilitation Horticulture Project, close to Barratt Developments’ Cherry Tree Park, in Ryhope, has received a cash boost.

A £1,000 donation, to directly support the horticulture project, will help the organisation to provide horticultural, education and employment opportunities to service users, using horticulture in a therapeutic way to support recovery and mental well-being.

Based within the grounds of Hopewood Park Hospital, the service is part of Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, which provides mental health and disability services across the North East.

Further to this, Cherry Tree Park’s show homes feature hanging baskets provided by the NHS Vocational Rehabilitation Horticulture Project.

Ashlea Wright, sales manager at Barratt Developments’ Cherry Tree Park, said: “We are delighted to launch the Community Fund initiative across our North East division, which will enable us to continue to support the communities and causes around our developments. We’re proud to donate this month’s fund to such a worthwhile project within the Ryhope area.”

Ray Lamb, representative of the garden project, said: “As an independent project, we rely on charitable donations to keep our support going and it’s wonderful to see a local housebuilder support its communities in this way.”