A Didcot youth charity supporting young people across South Oxfordshire has received a £1,000 boost from one of the developers behind the town’s major Valley Park development.
Persimmon Homes Wessex presented the donation to TRAIN through its Community Champions scheme, supporting the organisation’s work with young people in Didcot and Wallingford.
TRAIN has been working with young people in South Oxfordshire for more than two decades. Its work includes mentoring, detached youth work, leadership and social action courses, alongside providing safe spaces where young people can build confidence, develop relationships and access support.
The organisation was established 24 years ago in response to a lack of consistent, community-based provision for young people in Didcot. Its relationship-based approach means young people can choose to engage with its services and build trust over time.
According to TRAIN, this can help young people grow in confidence, reconnect with education and develop more positive futures.
The donation comes as Persimmon continues its involvement in Valley Park, a major development that will ultimately deliver 4,254 homes alongside two primary schools, a special educational needs school, local centres and sports facilities.
Persimmon is responsible for around half of the homes planned for the development and says its Community Champions programme distributes around £700,000 each year to good causes and community organisations across Britain.
Recent local recipients have included Oxford Hospitals Charity, Projects Abroad and Sustainable Didcot.
Pauline Fletcher, Sales Director at Persimmon Homes Wessex, said the company was keen to support initiatives that help build communities as its presence in Didcot grows.
“As a local developer that will have a significant presence in Didcot for years to come, Persimmon is determined to support great initiatives in the area that builds communities and provides a valuable service for residents, current and future,” she said.
TRAIN Chief Executive Ben Drabble said the charity was grateful for the support, adding that its work had continued to evolve over the past 24 years to respond to the needs of young people in the area.
“We work to provide a wide offer to young people in Didcot and Wallingford, helping them to get the right support in order to pursue fulfilling futures,” he said.
With Didcot continuing to expand through major housing and infrastructure projects, organisations such as TRAIN are likely to play an increasingly important role in providing community-based support and opportunities for young people.
