A HOUSEBUILDER has made a grand donation in a bid to help Wokingham people stay in touch.
Cala Homes (Thames) is backing The Link Visiting Scheme, a befriending charity that organises a buddy scheme to help isolated older folk stay in touch with others, as well as organising social event such as coffee mornings and a community kitchen.
The £1,628 funding will be used to fund its chair yoga and singalong sessions for a year.
Founded 25 years ago, The Link recognises the impact loneliness has within the community.
The donation comes part of Cala’s major Community Pledge initiative at its Finchwood Park development, Finchampstead in Wokingham.
The Community Pledge incorporates a host of tailored measures addressing specific community needs, including donations, volunteering, learning programmes, support initiatives and much more.
Liz McDaniel, senior fundraising manager at The Link Visiting Scheme, said: “Loneliness is seen by many as one of the largest health concerns we face. It’s painful and can be harmful to our bodies, with studies showing that loneliness puts us at greater risk of developing dementia, heart disease and more.
“As a charity, we heavily rely on donations and the support from our volunteers, which is why we’re grateful to Cala’s donation to sponsor two popular activities that we offer.”
Alison Deakin, Sales and Marketing Director for Cala (Thames), said: “People and communities have always been at the heart of what we do, and we’re proud to be able to donate over £1,600 to the Link Visiting Scheme as part of our Community Pledge in Finchampstead.
“Our Community Pledge is a UK-wide initiative that has been developed by Cala’s teams to support charities, organisations and good causes in the communities where we build homes.
“We’re really pleased that our donation will go towards supporting The Link’s Chair Yoga and Sing-along for the next year, helping to bring members of the community together and combat loneliness, which can often affect people later in their lives”
