Category: Chancerygate’s voluntary work


Chancerygate donates over £18,000 to charities throughout 2023

By aioannidis,

Chancerygate has donated over £18,000 to a variety of charities and organisations throughout 2023 alongside food, clothes and gift donations for children.

Crisis

Chancerygate’s chosen charity for 2023 was Crisis. Throughout May and June, the London office completed over 126 hours of volunteering at Crisis charity shops and warehouse. More than 16 bags of clothes, shoes, kids toys and DVDs were donated to Crisis with profits going to support the charity and their work.

For every employee, Chancerygate made a donation to Crisis at Christmas, this gift of £29.73 could give someone who is homeless:

  • Help with a safe place to stay
  • Hot meals and a Christmas dinner
  • Access to health and wellbeing programmes
  • Support to leave homelessness behind for good

Over £1,700 was donated to Crisis at Christmas on behalf of all employees.

In addition to this a donation was made to Crisis as an alternative to sending out corporate Christmas cards.

Site donations

Chancerygate have donated £11,500 to six local organisations and charities nearby to our developments in construction. The donations went towards helping local primary schools, foodbanks, mobile food club and charities providing support to disabled children and families.

Read more on all site donations of 2023

Employee fundraising

A number of Chancerygate employees took on challenges to fundraise for organisations important to them, over £3,600 was donated by staff and match donated by Chancerygate to organisations such as Dogs for Good, Refuge, LandAid, Merchant Taylors Foundation and The Cure CJD Campaign.

KidsOut Giving Tree

For the third year running, Chancerygate swapped Secret Santa for KidsOut Giving Tree and donated 65 gifts for children in refuge. The recipients are children who have escaped domestic violence, being forced to flee their homes quickly and leave all possessions behind.

Chancerygate’s site donations for 2023

By aioannidis,

Our CSR programme is committed to giving back to local communities at each development we build in. We donate to local charities or organisations during the construction phase of each development and are always looking for opportunities to support locally.

Across 2023 we are pleased to have donated £11,500 in conjunction with our construction and investment partners.

Oldham Foodbank – Chancerygate and Triton Construction made a donation of £1,500 to Oldham Foodbank, situated close to Broadway Central. Oldham Foodbank is supported by the Trussell Trust and provide emergency food and support to people locked in poverty. The donation went towards purchasing stock for the foodbank.

Hunter Hall School – For Zephyr Park in Dagenham, Howard Russell and Chancerygate donated £2,000 to Hunter Hall School. The donation went towards their Multi-Cultural and Wellbeing Community Day which took place in March.

Holy Trinity Church Foodbank – The foodbank is located just one mile from Capital Park, Edinburgh, the £1,000 donation enabled the church to continue providing crisis support for those in immediate need of help, they support around 70-75 households on average a week. 

Dorset Children’s Foundation – Chancerygate and Northwood Investors donated £2,000 to this small, independent charity created to enhance the lives of local disabled children and their families. The donation went directly to a young boy called Charlie and was used to fit a trampoline in the back garden. Charlie is 8 and has Cerebral Palsy with profound and multiple learning difficulties and is a full-time wheelchair user. He suffers from dystonia, rapid limb movements and severe spasticity in his limbs. 

Dysart School – Chancerygate and Harmonix Construction donated £2,000 to Dysart School. Dysart is a provision for pupils who have a range of severe and complex learning disabilities. The donation went towards their fundraiser for two new minibuses as the recent ULEZ expansion has made their current transportation noncompliant. Dysart School is less than a mile away from Metroplex Park, Tolworth.

The Bread and Butter Thing (TBBT) – For Bridgewater Point in Trafford Park, Chancerygate, Northwood Investors and Stainforth Construction donated £3,000 to The Bread and Butter Thing. TBBT are a mobile food club working towards giving access to nutritious and affordable food to the centre of the UK’s most deprived communities. The donation went towards funding their campaign, The Big Brew Time which aims to combat social isolation and building new friendships.

Chancerygate donates over £57,000 to charities throughout 2022

By aioannidis,

Chancerygate have donated over £57,000 to a variety of charities and organisations throughout 2022 alongside food, clothes and gift donations for children.

Action Tutoring

Our company charity for 2022 was Action Tutoring, a charity that supports disadvantaged young people to achieve academically, with a view to enabling them to progress in education, employment or training. Four Chancerygate employees became volunteer tutors in maths and English and have completed over 35 tutoring sessions (with one to three pupils per session). Chancerygate also raised £30,000 through a sponsored 25 mile hike over the Yorkshire Three Peaks.

Read more.

Site donations

Chancerygate have donated £22,500 for nine organisations and charities local to our developments in construction. The donations went towards helping local communities including foodbanks, community centres, primary schools and charities providing emotional health support for children and young adults.

Read more about our site donations.

King Solomon Academy

A few volunteers from Chancerygate took part in a careers fair at King Solomon Academy, speaking with students in year 11 to 13 about opportunities in the property industry and the different career paths available at Chancerygate.

The Andrew Grene Foundation

Chancerygate donated £5,000 to The Andrew Grene Foundation, a charity dedicated to supporting the people of Haiti through education, loans and building projects.

Christmas donations

This year Chancerygate swapped Secret Santa for KidsOut Giving Tree and donated over 45 gifts for children in refuge. The recipients are children who have escaped domestic violence, being forced to flee their homes quickly and leave all possessions behind.

The Chancerygate team also donated six bags full of clothes, blankets, shirts, coats, hats and gloves to The Passage. They are an organisation that assists people who have experienced homelessness to realise their own potential to transform their lives. The items that have been donated will go towards helping vulnerable people in London.

Site donations of 2022

By aioannidis,

Our CSR programme is committed to giving back to each of the local communities in which we build. During the construction phase of each development, we donate money to a charity or organisation in the local area of the site.

Across 2022 we’re proud to have donated £22,500 in conjunction with our construction and investment partners and we have given back to the following communities:

Warrington Foodbank
At Gemini 8, Warrington, Chancerygate teamed up with Caddick Construction and Northwood Investors to donate £3,500 to Warrington Food Bank.  This donation went towards the fitting of new racking in their new distribution unit. Warrington Foodbank was founded by local churches and community groups to stop hunger in their local area and is supported by The Trussell Trust.

Holbrook Community Centre
The team at Holbrook Park, Coventry have donated £2,000 to Holbrook Community Centre alongside A&H Construction. This donation helped them be able to fit out their kitchen and purchase small appliances. Holbrook Community Centre is for the community, young and old.

Birkett House School
At Genesis Park, Leicester, Chancerygate teamed up with A&H Construction and Westbrook and donated £3,000 to Birkett House School. The donation went towards investing in their forest school. Birkett House School is a co-educational special school for pupils aged 4-19. Pupils have a range of learning needs from profound and multiple learning difficulties to moderate needs.

Crosstown Community Orchard
The team at Novus, Knutsford, joined up with Triton Construction to donate £2,000 to Crosstown Community Orchard, a green space where the community maintains and shares in the bounty of an orchard and is open to all. The donation went towards purchasing new equipment to support educational workshops.

Weston Turville C of E School
The Vantage 41, Aston Clinton development donated £3,000 to Weston Turville C of E school. The donation came from Chancerygate, A&H Construction and Westbrook. The donation of £3,000 went towards preserving their nature reserve, purchasing tools and PPE equipment such as gloves and eyewear.

Peterborough Soup Kitchen
At Bourges View, Peterborough, Chancerygate, A&H Construction and Westbrook donated £3,000 to Peterborough Soup Kitchen. They are a local charity for homeless and disadvantaged people from in and around the city and the donation went directly towards providing food for these people. Development Director, George Dickens, now volunteers with the soup kitchen once a month, making sandwiches and giving them out to those who need it.

Dogs for Good
In November the team at Boundary43, Brackley joined up with Bailey Construction and donated £2,000 to Dogs for Good. Dogs for Good train dogs to assist people with mobility issues or children with autism, they help bring many people independence and companionship. The donation went towards their partnership with Style Acre to continue to deliver Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) for people with learning disabilities and autism at SABRe, a community hub in Banbury.

Visyon
At Norse Trade Park, Congleton, the Chancerygate team and Triton Construction donated £2,000 to Visyon, a charity that supports emotional health of children, young people and their families. The donation will go towards the running of the centre, allowing for children and young adults to have free support and counselling.

Witham Community Hub
In December, Chancerygate and Harmonix Construction donated £2,000 to Witham Hub, this donation came from Freebournes Park, Witham. The organisation aims to prevent people from being socially excluded and assisting them to integrate into society. The £2,000 donation went towards purchasing food to help those in the local community.

Chancerygate donates over £52,000 to charities throughout 2021

By aioannidis,

Chancerygate are pleased to announce that we have donated over £52,000 to a variety of charities and organisations throughout 2021.

Site donations

We are committed to giving back to each of the local communities in which we build and this year we donated over £16,000 across 9 local organisations from PACT for Autism to St. Basils. Our donation for Diverse Abilities went to their Sibling STARS Project which is for children and young people that have a brother or sister with a disability. The project consists of a 12-week after-school programme, as well as three day trips during the year.

Read more on our site donations here

The Andrew Grene Foundation

Chancerygate donated £35,000 to The Andrew Grene Foundation, a charity dedicated to supporting the people of Haiti through education, loans and building projects.

“2021 gave us many challenges, and although we tend to air on the side of optimism, these days have tested us.  While the media often exaggerates the realities in Haiti, recent reports are not untrue, and Haiti finds herself in one of her darkest times.

This said, we can report that after launching our earthquake appeal in August, we have been able to reach 1,459 micro-finance clients and give them direct financial assistance.  This was made possible by working closely with our partner organisation, Fonkoze, who were able to navigate the remote southern area of Haiti, reaching families in need.

And throughout the chaos, the Andrew Grene High School has remained open, whilst 90% of schools in Port-au-Prince were closed.  This has not been without difficulties or fear, but our staff and students have remained strong, and stand firm in their belief that better days will come in Haiti.

Thank you for being tirelessly associated with our efforts.”

Jane Holden, Director of Fundraising, Andrew Grene Foundation

Tree Planting

Chancerygate teamed up with Thames21 on a project to improve biodiversity and flood defences at Turkey Brook in Enfield, North London. With 25 staff members we were able to plant over 1,100 trees. Thames21 works with communities and volunteers to improve London’s waterways and cleaning and greening the areas around them. Plenty of volunteering opportunities are available, and you can find out more on their website.

Gloucester College Visit

Chancerygate, Northwood Investments and Barnwood Limited took a group of students from Gloucestershire College around Festival Trade Park and Furlong Park. The students were in their first year of BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment, they will be the next generation of quantity surveyors, site managers and civil engineers!

King Solomon Academy

A few volunteers from the business took part in the virtual careers event. Assisting in CV checking, online mock interviews and the careers carousel; delivering short online presentations to students and answering any questions they had.

Christmas donations

This Christmas we donated and supported multiple organisations:

KidsOut

We swapped Secret Santa for KidsOut Giving Tree and donated just under 50 gifts for children in refuge. The recipients are children who have escaped domestic violence, being forced to flee their homes quickly and leave all possessions behind.

LandAid

Instead of sending out Christmas cards this year, we donated £1,000 to LandAid, the property industry charity that aims to end to youth homelessness in the UK.

“We bring the property industry together to support charities delivering life-changing services for young people who are or have been homeless, or who are at risk of homelessness in the future.

Through a unique network of corporate partners, we invest funding and expertise where we can achieve lasting impact.”

Food donation

Due to rising Covid cases, we postponed our Christmas lunch where we had booked No. 11 Pimlico Road for a festive 3-course meal. The pandemic has been tough on many businesses and people, so we asked the restaurant to proceed with the original order and we got in touch with Baker Street Quarter Partnership to see if they knew where we could donate our meals to. We were able to help feed over 30 women at The Marylebone Project, who provide an all-encompassing space where vulnerable homeless women at risk – during the day or at night – can feel safe, supported and not alone in dealing with the crisis they are facing allowing them to move forward.

We also donated £250 to Brixton Soup Kitchen, a Brixton based service for the homeless and people in need. They also help people from London and surrounding areas and rely heavily on donations and volunteers to continue our work.

Chancerygate teams up with Thames21 and plants over 1,100 trees

By aioannidis,

As part of our CSR programme, we teamed up with Thames21 on a project to improve biodiversity and flood defences at Turkey Brook in Enfield, North London. With 25 staff members we were able to plant over 1,100 trees.

Managing Director of Chancerygate, Richard Bains, said: “As real estate developers we are very conscious of the need to improve biodiversity, and this was a great opportunity for us to do just that and also spend some quality time together outside our working environment. Corporate Social Responsibility is very important to Chancerygate and this opportunity seemed to be very appropriate for a company like ours. We were very lucky to have enjoyed a cold but clear and relatively still day which definitely helped our motivation levels to stay high and we planted over 1,100 trees in the day. We very much look forward to revisiting in a few years to hopefully see a thriving new, native woodland.”

Thames21 works with communities and volunteers to improve London’s waterways and cleaning and greening the areas around them. Plenty of volunteering opportunities are available, and you can find out more on their website.

Site donations 2021

By Ada Ioannidis,

Our CSR programme is committed to giving back to each of the local communities in which we build. During the construction phase of each development, we donate money to a charity or education provider in the local area of the site. It is our aim to have a positive impact on education in the local community.

Across 2021 we’re proud to have donated over £16,000 in conjunction with our construction partners and given back to the following communities:

SupaJam Education

At Sidcup Logistics Park, we teamed up with the main contractor, Howard Russel Construction, to donate £1,500 to SupaJam Education.

Founded in 2013, SupaJam Education is a unique educational provider set up for students aged 16-25 who have previously fallen out of formal education. The amazing students often have some form of social, emotional, or behavioural challenge to overcome, and SupaJam gives them a safe home to reignite their desire to learn, grow and ultimately progress to work or Higher Education. With a key focus on music, SupaJam put this donation toward their annual White Heart music festival, the most prestigious day on the Supajam calendar, and a day that allows the students to showcase their skills to the community.

PACT for Autism

The team at Harlow Gate have donated £1,000 to PACT for Autism (parents and children together).

PACT for Autism is a charity providing support for families and carers of individuals within the autism spectrum and similar conditions. The charity was founded in 2012 by a group of parents who wanted to improve education, health and social care services, and provide families with opportunities to thrive within an inclusive society. They provide support and information to enable parents and carers to feel empowered to achieve the best outcomes for their family. The donation was put towards a pantomime at the local playhouse. It enabled a block booking to bring families together for one night to share the fun of the pantomime.

Elmtree Infant School

Down in Chesham the Aerial Park team donated £1,000 to Elmtree Infant School.

Elmtree pride themselves as being a caring and happy place of learning where all children feel safe and secure. They are all committed to ensuring that the children are happy, healthy and working towards meeting their potential. Elmtree work to ensure that all the children enjoy coming to school and that they are given as many opportunities as possible to achieve their personal best and learn the skills they need to be able to continue their learning throughout their life. The donation is going toward replacing equipment in the playground. The climbing frame was damaged and is a health and safety hazard to the children, so the funds will go toward its replacement.

MAP

At Diamond Point, Norwich, we teamed up with main contractor, MCS, and investor, Northwood, to donate £2,000 toward MAP, and £1,000 to Norwich Nighthawks Dodgeball team.

MAP helps young people (11-25) have better lives; to grow up to be confident, contributing adults and to make positive choices about their future. MAP help young people with issues relating to employment, education/training, money, housing, welfare rights, health, sexuality, gender, relationships and parenting. They deliver free, independent advice, guidance and advocacy; counselling; youth work activities; informal education and accredited learning to over 4,000 young people annually. The donation has gone toward their advice services. Young people can drop in and speak with a trained advisor about any issues they are experiencing. The £2,000 will help to provide approximately 57 hours of support to young people in need.

Norwich Nighthawks are a local dodgeball team, they have just launched a junior club to go alongside their adult club, which is one of the largest dodgeball clubs in the country. Having funding to do this allows them to open access to the sport among those who could not normally afford the financial commitments of sport and fund/showcase the sport as serious and beneficial for everyone. The donation will open their doors further across Norwich and Norfolk and tap into areas within communities it normally wouldn’t reach.

Liverpool Lions Rugby League Club

The team at Mersey Reach Phase 2, in Liverpool have donated £1,000 to the Liverpool Lions Rugby League Club.

Established in 2008, Liverpool Lions are Liverpool’s only active Rugby League club. Their aim is to provide an outlet into the great game of rugby league for all ages, boys, girls, men and women in Liverpool. The money will go towards helping them grow the club and enable them to deliver Rugby League to more people through qualifying more coaches, helping them keep the sport more affordable to our participants.

St. Basils

In September, the Birmingham team and Northwood Investments donated £2,000 to St. Basils.

St. Basils works with young people aged 16-25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, helping over 5,000 young people per year across the West Midlands region.

Walmley Golf Foundation CIC

At Minworth, the team and Quantum Construction donated £2,000 to the Walmley Golf Foundation.

The foundation was created with the aim of making golf more accessible and beneficial to the local and extended community. Since launching they have worked with over 40 local organisations ranging from primary and secondary schools, youth groups, the NHS, adult community groups and respite centres. The foundation is committed to improving the lives in their community through golf.

Diverse Abilities

Down in Bournemouth, the team, Howard Russell and Northwood Investments donated £3,000 to Diverse Abilities.

Diverse Abilities enables children and adults with disabilities to achieve their full potential by providing a lifetime of sustainable support and educational services. The donation went to their Sibling STARS Project which is for children and young people that have a brother or sister with a disability. The project consists of a 12-week after-school programme, as well as three day trips during the year.

Cheltenham Open Door

The team in Cheltenham and Northwood Investments donated £2,000 to Cheltenham Open Door.

Cheltenham Open Door supports vulnerable, disadvantaged and lonely people and aim to relieve poverty, hardship and social or emotional distress. They are based in the heart of Cheltenham and provide excellent hot food for anyone who needs it, as well as food parcels, clean clothes, shoes and outdoor kit if needed. The donation allowed Open Door to purchase physical items for their new premises such as laundry facilities, IT equipment, outdoor furniture and games.

Everyone is given a warm welcome at Open Door, regardless of their circumstances.

Supporting the communities in which we build

By Ada Ioannidis,

Our CSR programme is committed to giving back to each of the local communities in which we build. During the construction phase of each development we donate £1,000 to go toward education in the area of each site.

Over the last six months we’re proud to have given back to the following communities:

For our Mersey Reach development in Aintree, Liverpool, we teamed up with the main contractor, Caddick Construction, to donate £2,000 to Netherton Park Neighbourhood Centre.

Netherton Park Neighbourhood Centre is a safe place for all ages to learn, play and socialise. The donation was used to purchase new computers for their ICT suite, providing locals speedy and reliable internet access. The facilities are available to members of the community for studying, assignments, job hunting and more. With these new computers, they were able to distribute the old computers to children and young people who have not had internet access to complete homework during lockdown.

The team at our Panorama development in Dartford donated £1,000 to Temple Hill Primary Academy.

Temple Hill Primary Academy caters for children aged 3 – 11 years, with a wide variety of needs. The donation was used to boost the schools outdoor learning provision, through the purchase of high-quality outdoor benches, providing pupils with a space to sit and work. Seeing the amazing learning benefits from having more time in the outdoors was the key driver of this.

In Ipswich, the team at our Cranes site, and site vendor, AquiGen, teamed up and donated £2,000 to Inspire Suffolk.

Inspire Suffolk is a successful youth charity that specialises in youth interventions for young people who are NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training) or at risk of becoming NEET. They deliver a wide range of education and sports initiatives that improve health, confidence and self-esteem.

With the support of donations from Chancerygate and AquaGen, Inspire Suffolk’s new Stay & Play provision aims to give parents the confidence, skills and knowledge to engage with their child’s soft skill development. Through activities like crafts and sport, parents will have the chance to find ways of capturing their children’s imagination while they learn.

Construction at Tonbridge Trade Park is about to get underway, and we’ve donated £1,000 to Tonbridge Angels Football Academy.

Tonbridge Angels Football Academy is an educational programme in partnership with Hugh Christie school to deliver a variety of qualifications to 16-19-year-old learners of varying abilities and backgrounds. They currently have 45 students enrolled on the programme and run three teams in three different leagues. The donation was used to purchase a Veo sports camera. The camera has enabled them to record training and matches so they can conduct video analysis with their players to help improve their football skills.

 

Collecting for Help for Heroes

By Ada Ioannidis,

Two small teams from Chancerygate took part in the Help for Heroes Flag Day at London Underground stations. The teams were positioned at both Bank and Monument tube stations during the morning commute where they collected donations from the public.

Assisting Ruxley Gravel Pits Nature Reserve Team

By Ada Ioannidis,

A team from Chancerygate spent a day volunteering to help the Ruxley Gravel Pits Nature Reserve Team to clear brambles and rebuild some steps in an area of special scientific interest, adjacent to one of our Sidcup development sites.

Clearing and restoring allotments

By owsAdmin,

A team from Chancerygate assisted the Baker Street Quarter Partnership with day’s work to clear and restore allotments on a social housing estate near Paddington.