Barratt Homes has made a donation of £1,500 to Staffordshire children’s charity, The Peter Pan Centre, which helps disabled children from birth to five years old and their families.
Founded in 1969 and unique across Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire and Cheshire, no other charity offers what The Peter Pan Centre can throughout the region. The charity’s purpose is to transform the lives of children with special educational needs, and give their families the support they need and deserve.
Barratt Homes’ donation was made as part of the Barratt Developments Plc Charitable Foundation, which is designed to support national and local charities, large and small, across the UK to leave a legacy in the communities in which the housebuilder operates.
Joanne Sumnell, Fundraising Manager at The Peter Pan Centre, said: “This kind donation will give some of the most vulnerable children in our community the best start in life. Through weekly bespoke education, care and development sessions at our specialist centre in Newcastle-under-Lyme, we support children to grow and develop.
“From building confidence to socialising, and from taking steps unaided to gaining communication skills, each of our children has different needs and abilities and is encouraged at every stage by our caring and dedicated team of expert practitioners.
“Our sessions aim to give every child the best early support to enable them to continue their journey into education. Parent carers are free to enjoy much-needed respite whilst their children are in our care.”
The Peter Pan Centre supports approximately 75 children per week at the Centre and a further 20 children through community based stay-and-play groups. Over the course of a year, up to 160 children and their families are supported, with the assistance lasting for up to four years.
Joanne continued: “Without us, some of the most vulnerable children in our community would miss out on early education because many families struggle to secure the help they need.
“One of our challenges as a small charity, aside from fundraising, is our local profile. Despite the fact we have been actively supporting disabled children in the area for more than 50 years, too often people simply haven’t heard of us.
“Without the support of our amazing local community, we could not do what we do, as we are almost entirely reliant on fundraising to survive.”
Adrian Evans, Managing Director at Barratt Homes West Midlands, said: “As a leading housebuilder, donating to organisations and charities in the areas in which we build is vital, and The Peter Pan Centre is certainly deserving of support.
“The work that the charity carries out is of extreme importance and we are more than happy to make a donation towards its services, so that disadvantaged children across Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent and Cheshire have the opportunity to enjoy accessible learning and play.”
The Peter Pan Centre is located near to the housebuilder’s Bertelin Fields development in Beaconside.
For more information on the charity, visit the website at The Peter Pan Centre.
For more information about Barratt Homes, visit the website at Barratt Homes in Staffordshire.
