We are proud to have supported Essex Wildlife Trust with a £5,000 donation through our Community Champions scheme, helping the charity improve access across its nature reserves in south Essex.

The funding will enable the Trust to purchase a specialist mower, which will be used to maintain and improve pathways across its sites. This will make reserves more accessible for visitors of all ages and abilities, while ensuring sensitive habitats continue to be protected.

Members of our Essex team recently visited the Trust’s Abbotts Hall nature reserve in Great Wigborough, where a former commercial farm is being transformed through an ambitious rewilding project. The reserve is set to open to the public later this year and highlights the organisation’s commitment to restoring habitats and supporting local biodiversity.

During the visit, Terri Smith, Head of Customer Care at Persimmon Homes Essex, shared details of the developer’s own biodiversity projects, sharing similarities with those created at the reserve.

Terri said: “At Persimmon Homes, we recognise the importance of protecting and enhancing the natural environment around us. We work hard to deliver biodiversity net gains and create new habitats that ensure wildlife can continue to thrive alongside our communities.

“We were delighted to visit Essex Wildlife Trust’s inspiring project at Abbotts Hall and see first-hand the incredible work being undertaken to restore and improve habitats across the county.”

Justine Addison, Corporate Partnerships Manager at Essex Wildlife Trust, says: “We are very thankful to receive this new specialised mower. As a conservation charity, every donation makes a difference, and this equipment will help our team and volunteers maintain paths and access routes across our reserves, making it easier for people of all ages and abilities to experience the benefits of spending time in nature, while protecting more sensitive parts of the nature reserve.”

Persimmon Homes’ Community Champions initiative supports local charities, community groups and organisations making a positive difference in the areas where the housebuilder opera

At Persimmon, we recognise the importance of protecting and enhancing the natural environment. Through initiatives like Community Champions, we are committed to supporting local organisations that make a positive difference in the areas where we build.