House Builder launches £600,000 Sporting Fund to create lasting legacy

The UK’s leading housebuilder, Persimmon Homes, has launched a Healthy Communities programme aimed at giving away over £600,000 in cash to sports groups and sporty individuals.

Persimmon Healthy Communities is aimed at amateur sports teams and individuals aged 21 years and under in England, Wales and Scotland.

The top prize of £200,000 will be donated to one amateur sporting team or individual to create a lasting sporting legacy for the local community.

The new fund is in addition to the £720,000 the company already donates through its hugely successful Community Champions programme each year.

The Persimmon Healthy Communities programme will run from May 2017 to March 2018.

The first stage of the competition will see Persimmon’s 30 UK businesses give away donations of £750 each month to teams and individuals to spend on kits and equipment. This will run from May to December 2017 and there will be 240 donations up for grabs in total.

In January 2018 Persimmon’s 30 businesses will then choose a team or individual to represent them in the grand final.

An online public vote will decide the overall winner. The team or individual who gets the most votes will win £200,000. The money is to be spent on facilities, coaching or development for the benefit of young people aged 21 and under. There are a further two runner up prizes of £50,000 each and 27 finalist awards of £5,000 each.

Jeff Fairburn, Persimmon’s group CEO, said the new campaign was aimed at giving back to the communities in which the company operates.

“We’ve already seen first-hand what our Community Champions programme delivers to groups and charities. This new programme is aimed at creating a lasting legacy for young people who love sport and the volunteers who help to deliver it.

“Everyone who enters from May to December, regardless of whether they win a monthly prize, will be considered as a finalist.

“We are looking for sports teams and individuals who have amazing ideas on how to spend £200,000 to come forward.  We will consider anything from new clubhouses, to training centres, facilities or gyms or it may be people want to spend the cash on the development of future Olympians. We’re very excited to see the projects that are put forward.”

To find out more to enter the competition visit www.persimmonhomes.com/charity.