A regional equality council covering Edinburgh and the Lothians has been given a £1,000 boost by one of the country’s leading housebuilders.
Edinburgh & Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC), based on Forth Street, is a charity that aims to support local communities and eliminate discrimination in all its forms through a range of projects.
ELREC, set up in 1971, applied to Persimmon Homes East Scotland to help to fund weekly sports sessions for disadvantaged children aged five-16 years of age. The free sessions would be available for the youngsters in parks across Edinburgh.
The charity is among the first to receive funds as part of the housebuilder’s Building Futures campaign for 2021, which runs until August and will donate more than £1m to good causes this year.
Parveen Ishaq, of Edinburgh & Lothians Regional Equality Council, said: “We are really excited to receive this support from Persimmon Homes.
“Our team work hard to promote equality and diversity across our region through a wide range of projects and in particular we are targeting young people in our communities living in poverty.
“The money will help us provide free outdoor sports sessions for children in and around Edinburgh and the Lothians. The sessions will not only get young people moving they will also help to support young people’s mental health and social interaction, which are so important after the lockdown restrictions.”
Building Futures aims to support community groups working with under-18s across three categories – education & arts, health and sport.
A total of 128 grants of £1,000 will be awarded across Persimmon’s 32 regional businesses to improve local facilities and the delivery of vital community projects.
Three initiatives will go on to win £100,000 each through a national online public vote. The winners will be named at a gala dinner for finalists in November.
In each sector – education & arts, health and sport – as well as the £100,000 first prize, there will be a £50,000 second prize and a £20,000 third prize, while a further 87 shortlisted projects will each receive £5,000.
Laura Still, sales director at Persimmon Homes East Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to help Edinburgh & Lothians Regional Equality Council and the truly inclusive work it is doing with young people in Edinburgh.
“The pandemic has had a huge impact on mental health across the board, not least amongst young people. It is important that charities like this are supported in the good work they are doing.
“Building Futures is all about helping young people and youth groups in our area. We’re accepting entries until mid-August so we’d urge more people to apply by visiting www.persimmonhomes.com/charity”
Persimmon is currently selling stunning new-build homes at sites across Edinburgh and the Lothians at developments including Lang Loan, The Willows, Kings Cove, Burgh Gate and Kings Meadow.
Founded in 1972, Persimmon Homes is one of the UK’s leading housebuilders. With headquarters in York, the Group operates from 31 regional offices throughout the UK, trading under the brand names of Persimmon Homes, Charles Church and Westbury Partnerships, building quality homes across England, Wales and Scotland. The company directly employs more than 5,000 people and supports around 86,000 jobs in the construction sector.
For more information visit www.persimmonhomes.com