Donation from housebuilder secures the doors for Durham’s Women’s Institutes
Durham’s Women’s Institutes has received a £1,500 donation from Barratt Homes’ Burdon Green development, which is being put towards creating much safer security at its office base in Spennymoor, and better accessibility for its members.
The Durham County Federation Of Women’s Institutes prides itself on being a trusted place for all women, to make friends, share experiences and learn from each other. Its members are from all walks of life, are of different ages, backgrounds and abilities, making the Women’s Institutes a special, powerful and supportive organisation.
The £1,500 donation will go towards the installation of a new door entry system at the WI House in Spennymoor, which is needed to improve the safety and wellbeing of its Federation Secretary and volunteers when in the office. A part of the donation will also be going towards the DCFWI’s continued work in bringing events and workshops to venues around County Durham to ensure that members, who do not have transport or live in rural areas without public transport, can still take part in everything that the WI has to offer.
The donation, which comes as part of the housebuilder’s Community Fund initiative, was established to reach those most in need living close to its developments. This follows the existing relationship between the DCFWI and Barratt Homes, as last year saw the housebuilder sponsor the DCFWI’s ‘Open Dabble Day’ held at Barratt’s nearby Burdon Green development in Coxhoe. The day involved a taster session of bite-size craft workshops, with a marquee provided by Barratt.
Starting in 1915, the WI set out to give women a voice and to be a force for good in the community. Alongside moving with the times, the WI still focuses on what really matters, which is helping women to lead the lives they want and influencing their futures. For example, some women join to campaign for issues such as plastic in our oceans, mental wellbeing and reducing food waste. The WI is also an opportunity for women to share knowledge and to learn new skills, as it is a hub for craft classes, darts competitions, quizzes, walks in the Lake District and the Northumberland coast, as well as many more interests.
Speaking on the donation, Angela Dearlove, Vice-Chairman at the Durham County Federation of Women’s Institutes commented: “We are hugely grateful to Barratt Homes for its generous donation, which will be important in helping us to improve our office base and ensure all women are receiving the same access to our federation. It’s great to know that this donation will be benefiting our local female community as a whole, as we continue to inspire women to forge friendships, learn new skills and make a difference in their community.”
Ashlea Wright, Sales Manager at Barratt Homes’ Burdon Green development, said: “It was wonderful to learn more about the work being done at The Durham County Federation of Women’s Institutes when we sponsored the Open Dabble Day event last year. So it felt only right to continue this relationship and provide support with our monthly Community Fund initiative. We’re so pleased that our donation is going towards improving the WI’s facilities and ensuring all women in the local area have equal access to the federation, and in turn, better serving local residents.”
Barratt Homes’ Burdon Green development offers a selection of energy efficient three and four-bedroom homes. Ideally located in the semi-rural area of Coxhoe, Burdon Green offers beautiful country walks right on its doorstep, as well as a host of local amenities close by and excellent transport links.
