Housebuilders join forces to support Burgess Hill primary school

School pupils will be able to spend even more time outside thanks to a donation from developers Charles Church and Thakeham.

The five-star housebuilders have come together to donate £6,000 to Birchwood Grove Primary School after the school appealed for help funding a new shade for their field. The shade sail will provide protection from the sun during the summer, and shelter from the rain on wet days.

A spokesperson for the school said: “We believe children should have access to outside space whatever the weather. We are grateful to Charles Church and Thakeham for their financial contributions that will help make this vision a reality and allow our children to benefit from the outdoors year-round.”

The parent-teacher association has spent months organising fundraising events and the money from the housebuilders means they are now close to their target.

Charles Church and Thakeham were granted planning permission for 260 homes at Templegate, off Keymer Road, in July 2023. Work is well underway on site, with the first legal completions of Thakeham homes expected before the end of the year.

Thakeham is delivering its homes at Templegate in a joint venture partnership with housing association Aster Group.

Jo Triggs, Chair of the PTA, said: “We’re so grateful for these generous donations from Persimmon and Thakeham. As a school community we value the outside space we have and encourage the children to use it as much as possible. Being able to purchase the shades will allow the children to get outside even more and enjoy the benefits that brings.”

Sarah Crush, Social Value Manager at Thakeham, commented: “At Thakeham, we create sustainable, infrastructure-led communities. We work with local schools to engage with children so they can forge a stronger connection to the natural environment, which is why we’re delighted to support Birchwood Primary’s efforts to fund a new shade sail so its pupils can enjoy the outdoors whether in the snowy winter or sunny summer.

“Birchwood Grove Primary also recently joined our cross-curriculum educational programme Eddie & Ellie’s Wild Adventures, which has been curated to leave a lasting impact long after work at Templegate completes. Donating funds to the school’s new shade sail strengthens our relationship with and commitment to the school even further.”

Dan Castle, Managing Director of Charles Church Thames Valley, added: “We have a strong presence in Burgess Hill, we are currently working on the final homes at The Croft development and we are forging ahead with the Templegate site.

“We want to play an active part in the communities within which we are building and work with schools, voluntary organisations and charities to create a lasting legacy through our Community Champions scheme and it is a privilege to be able to work in partnership with Thakeham and be able to support Birchwood Grove Primary in their fundraising for this vital piece of playground furniture.”