How a leading housebuilder helps the communities it serves

In a Christmas Carol, novelist Charles Dickens exhorts us to honour Christmas in our hearts and try to keep it all the year, and Barratt David Wilson Homes’ Southampton division is dedicated to supporting the people and communities where it’s building and takes that spirit to heart. From the hundreds of hours its employees dedicate to volunteering, to its charity fundraising, to Christmas campaigns, Barratt takes its responsibilities to others very seriously.

A spirit of community runs through everything Barratt does, and this includes encouraging its employees to help others. “All Barratt employees can take two days a year on full pay that they can dedicate to volunteering time with worthy projects in the community,” said Tamsin Nichols, Marketing Co-ordinator at Barratt’s Southampton division.

“We’re really proud of everyone who gives up their time to help others. Colleagues have allocated their volunteering days to all sorts of activities, from painting drop-in centres for food banks and mental health charities to supporting community exercise classes for older people and much more. In total, our teams have dedicated over 540 hours to volunteering this year.”

Barratt is aware that giving their time to others helps its employees build their own confidence too. “Volunteering is about putting yourself in others’ shoes,” said Tamsin. “It’s about getting that sense of belonging, forging new relationships and gaining valuable skills. And of course, it’s always a great experience.”

Every year, Barratt David Wilson Homes Southampton Division nominates two charities that it will support across Dorset, West Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. This year’s good causes are Home-Start Portsmouth, a local community network that helps equip families with young children with the skills, confidence and strength they need to nurture their children, and Heartbeat, which helps babies, children and adults diagnosed with congenital
and cardiovascular diseases, supporting the work of the Wessex Cardiac Unit based at Southampton General Hospital.

Riding for a good cause

In September, Barratt and Heartbeat teamed up to deliver Heartbeat’s Cycle Sportive event, now in its eighth year. Cyclists were able to choose either a 70- or 40-mile route through the beautiful Test Valley, finishing in the beautiful grounds of Embley School, Romsey. Cycle Sportives are long-distance, organised cycling events – the cycling equivalent of running a marathon – which involve completing a set route of up to 150 miles. They are designed to test all-round biking skills rather than flat-out speed and are a great way for riders to enjoy the camaraderie and thrill of being part of a larger group.

This year’s event, which raised £9,500 for Heartbeat, was the first joint venture with Heartbeat after it was named as the developer’s chosen charity for the year 2024/25. Megan Hamlyn, Marketing Manager at Barratt’s Southampton division, who took on the 40-mile ride, said: “This was one of the most challenging things I have ever done but, seeing the great work the charity does, and having personally met several people who have benefitted from Heartbeat’s amazing support, I wanted to help raise much-needed funds for them.”

Tina Richardson, Head of Operations at Heartbeat, said: “There was a great turnout on the day and thanks to Barratt we were able to raise an amazing £9,500 for Heartbeat. The money raised will make a huge amount of difference to us and we are so grateful for Barratt’s and everyone’s support.”

There are many smaller charities, clubs, schools and other worthy causes supported by Barratt through its Community Fund, a dedicated financial resource that donates £18,000 per year to help local causes that improve the quality of life for people living in the region. Projects range from funding a primary school’s fireworks display to supporting an animal shelter.

In total, the housebuilder’s Southampton division has raised £341,518 for charity in 2024.

Bringing good cheer

Christmas is a time when many of us try to help others less fortunate than ourselves, and this year Barratt David Wilson Homes Southampton Division is focusing on good deeds throughout the communities where it operates. To encourage a little competitive edge, all head office departments will compete with each other, and the person who does the most good deeds will be rewarded.

“Our Christmas campaign this year is really simple,” said Tamsin Nichols. “We’re encouraging all our employees to do good deeds. This can be anything from reading stories to residents in a care home to helping someone cross the road. Whether the good deed is big or small, we’ll put it on our leaderboard and when the scores are totted up, we will recognise both the winning individual and their team.”

The developer will also be collaborating with Home-Start Portsmouth to deliver hampers and care packages to those who need them most this Christmas, as well as helping Hayling Island Holiday Lunches, a charity that delivers food to nearly 100 needy families during the school holidays.