David Wilson spreads joy with £1,500 donation to local children’s charity

David Wilson Homes, who is building homes at its The Poppies development, is supporting local charity Dandelion Time with a £1,500 Community Fund donation.

Dandelion Time, founded in 2003, is a nature-based charity that provides support to children who have suffered from traumatic experiences including domestic abuse and neglect. The charity supports them to overcome behavioural and emotional issues to build confidence and to cope better at school, home and day to day life.

Kent has the highest numbers of fixed-term school exclusions of all local Authorities in England (Department for Education (DfE). Furthermore, 55,630 children in Kent live in households where an adult has any of the so called ‘toxic trio’ factors present: domestic abuse, mental health problems or alcohol/substance misuse. (Children’s Commissioner, Childhood vulnerability profile (2022).

The £1,500 donation from David Wilson Kent will go towards helping families to attend sessions at one of Dandelion Time’s three sites, each within a farm setting, significantly reducing its waiting list. These sessions provide a space where children can feel safe, whilst keeping their minds busy. Families can access a range of activities, including rhythmic natural crafts, gardening, working with animals, sensory experiences, and bringing families together to strengthen bonds, all with the aim of improving children’s mental well-being.

Graham Carpenter, Dandelion Time’s CEO, commented: “With 1 in 5 children suffering a probable mental health disorder in 2023, according to NHS England, the need for Dandelion Time is greater than ever”, so donations such as these are crucial to support those who need our help. With the help from local organisations, our charity can make a difference, with 93% of the children we have helped having improved their self-esteem and 87% having improved their emotional well-being” (outcomes based on goals set with the families).

Natalie Perry, Sales and Marketing Director for David Wilson Kent, added: “Having heard the shocking figures surrounding child abandonment and abuse, it was so important for us to support Dandelion Time, as well as being a local charity to The Poppies development. It is clear how much of a difference this charity is making to support children and help them grow, and it gives us great pleasure to have the opportunity to support it. Building strong relationships with the local community is key as we build new homes, and we look forward to seeing how our donation will help contribute to improving young lives”.

The donation to Dandelion Time charity was made as part of The Barratt Foundation’s Community Fund initiative, which sees the housebuilder donate £1,500 a month to a local charity to improve the quality of life for those living in the local area.

David Wilson Kent is currently launching phase two of The Poppies development later this year.

For further details about David Wilson Kent or the new homes at The Poppies call 0333 355 8503 or visit www.dwh.co.uk.

For more information on Dandelion Time Charity, please visit: https://dandeliontime.org.uk.