Three groups supporting young people in Birmingham and Coventry are in with a chance of winning up to £100,000 in a housebuilder’s charity competition.
Persimmon Homes Central has shortlisted the good causes to represent the region in its Building Futures scheme, which will give away £1 million this year to projects that benefit under-18s.
The groups have been selected from three categories targeting grassroots sports groups, health organisations and arts & education projects.
Sandwell Young Carers will represent the arts & education category at the national final, Our Community Foundation has been selected to represent sport and Baby Godiva in health. A public online vote of all 96 finalists, running from October to November, will determine the national winners who will be crowned at an event later this year.
Neil Williams, managing director of Persimmon Central, said: “Building Futures is all about inspiring the younger generation in our local communities and giving the groups they’re associated with as much support as possible.
“This year has been another great success and the response we get from such worthy causes never fails to amaze me. We’re extremely proud to have given away over £128,000 already but that it just the start.
“We have three outstanding finalists representing the Central region and we’d like to take this opportunity to wish them all the very best of luck. It would be great to see one of them win the top prize so I would urge people to get voting when it opens next week.”
Sandwell Young Carers provide guidance and support to children and young people (aged 5-18) whose health, education and social lives are affected as a result of caring for a dependent family member. At Our Community Foundation, the aim is to relieve the needs of young people through the provision of recreational and leisure time activities provided in the interest of social welfare.
While Coventry’s Baby Godiva is a baby bank charity supplies free of charge, pre-loved and new nursery items and consumables to families experiencing poverty or destitution.
Building Futures is delivered through the Persimmon Charitable Foundation in partnership with Team GB, the British Olympic Association.
One initiative from each category will go on to win £100,000 each through a national award scheme to be decided by a public vote.
As well as the £100,000 first prize, there will be a £50,000 second prize and a £20,000 third prize in each category, while a further 87 shortlisted projects will each receive £5,000.
Online voting opens on Monday October and runs until midnight on November 19.
