A regional hospice’s community project designed to help bring people together during these unpredictable times has been awarded £1,000 by Persimmon Homes Teesside’s Community Champions fund.

The Big Butterwick Build, organised by Stockton’s Butterwick Hospice Care, is inviting people to create their own structure based on the theme of care and to enter them into a competition to help with hospice fundraising.

The initiative has won the backing of the Teesside business, which has donated £1,000 to sponsor and support the project.

Michelle Ball, for the hospice, said: “Due to the limited ways we can fundraise and get the much-needed funds that would normally come in via mass participation events we have created ‘The Big Butterwick Build’ which is aiming to get everyone in the community involved. “Our hope is to get families spending time together creating a structure with a positive outlook and giving them time to reflect over the last year and what has helped them to get through all the challenges.”

Participants, who will be divided into four different age categories, can submit a photo of their entry via the competition web page and the £2 entry fee will raise funds for the hospice care fund, which has been affected by Covid restrictions.

Joan Peart, sales director for Persimmon Homes Teesside, added: “Butterwick Hospice Care, like so many charities, has been affected by the lack of fundraising opportunities in the last year.”

“The organisers of this project are to be commended for their innovative approach, and I hope that their sense of innovation rubs off on the entrants and they come up with some exciting and interesting creations.”

“It is our pleasure to support the competition and I would encourage young and old to get working on their designs.”

Persimmon Homes national match-funding programme Community Champions seeks to support groups and charities working to improve the quality of life for local people.

Each month the Thornaby-based builder donates up to £2,000 to community groups across the region. This also happens across Persimmon’s other 31 operating areas, meaning up to £64,000 is dished out every single month – a total of £768,000 a year.

For more information on Persimmon Homes Community Champions scheme and to apply visit www.persimmonhomes.com/charity For details of the Big Butterwick Build visit: https://www.butterwick.org.uk/events/upcomingevents/butterwick-big-build/.