Developer donation supports local history and tourism

The housebuilder behind the major Fiddington Fields development has donated £1,000 to Tewkesbury Museum.

Persimmon Homes Severn Valley made the contribution as part of its Community Champions programme to support the town’s tourism industry and help sustain its proud history.

The free-to-visit museum is situated in a seventeenth century building in the town centre, and is home to its local history, housing an eclectic collection illustrating life in Tewkesbury from prehistory to the twentieth Century.

There are unique galleries about travelling fairs, the Battle of Tewkesbury, and local polar explorer Raymond Priestley alongside the story of the town and its people. There is a fun “penguin trail” for young explorers and Museum Detective packs to test the observation of older children, as well as old games and dressing up boxes.

The Museum is run by a group of dedicated trustees, who are supported by a loyal band of volunteers who help it stay open to the public for most days of the week.

The accredited five-star builder has two, three, and four-bed homes available from £265,000 at Fiddington Fields on the outskirts of Tewkesbury. Persimmon has outline planning permission to deliver 850 homes at the development.

Persimmon’s Community Champions scheme sees £700,000 go to good causes and much-valued organisations across Britain each year. Recent local recipients include Tewkesbury Food Bank, Boxing Clever, and Tewkesbury Colts FC.

Commenting, Persimmon Homes Severn Valley Sales Director Carly Spear, said:

“Tewkesbury Museum is an organisation we’ve been aware of for a while, and we are delighted to be able to support it through this donation.

“Our Community Champions scheme has been well-utilised to help several different kinds of organisations since its inception, and we are pleased to support the Museum given our significant presence in town with our Fiddington Fields development.  

“And whilst our data shows that the large majority of our customers are from the localities in which we build, I’m sure newcomers to Fiddington Fields as well as long-term residents of the town will really appreciate the chance to learn more about Tewkesbury’s fascinating past.”

Elanor Stanley, Collections Trustee for Tewkesbury Museum, added:

“The Museum’s aim is to collect and conserve artefacts and other objects with a strong connection to Tewkesbury and the surrounding area and promote public knowledge of its history and heritage by displaying and interpreting a selection of these items.

“Our income comes from visitor donations and other fund-raising activities, and our volunteers are a huge part of our ability to promote Tewkesbury’s wonderful local history.

“So, we’re grateful to Persimmon for this fantastic donation as it helps sustain us as a free museum for the public and funds our ability to remain the curators of our past.”