Howarth Timber and Building Supplies' Harrogate branch has doubled its community project prize fund after two worthy causes bowled over the company with the good work they do.
The competition was created to find a worthy recipient for £1,750 worth of building materials, with further prizes on offer to runners up.

But the quality of entries was so strong that Howarth Timber's panel of judges selected two good causes that will both benefit from the full £1,750 prize, to be spent on building materials that will benefit their organisations.

At Meadowside Community Primary School in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, Katy Smith runs a 'Forest School' programme that provides children with experiences such as tree climbing, den building, campfire cooking and other activities that promote confidence and self esteem in young people.

Howarth Timber will be supplying the project with fencing, decking, railway sleepers, bark chippings and all the tools required to reclaim a large area of rough ground next to the school field and turn it into the ideal space from which to run the programme.

The charity Autism Angels has also won £1,750 of building materials and will be using the prize to refurbish a stable that is used as a learning area for children with autism.

Autism Angels has been providing children and families in the parish of Kearby, near Harrogate, with support for autism, behavioural and social difficulties for 18 months, and the provision of timber cladding, new woodwork to replace rotten timbers, flooring and paint supplies will help the charity to provide its unique services in a safe environment.

Howarth Timber's Harrogate branch manager Gary Collins said: "Meadowside's Forest School programme was selected as the outstanding entry into the competition, and we are delighted to be supporting a project that does such important work with young people and educates them about the natural world - something very close to our heart.

"However, when we interviewed Sarah Shearman from Autism Angels, and heard about the groundbreaking work they are carrying out using contact with animals and the natural world to help families with behavioural problems, we felt that there was no way to choose between the two entries.

"We are delighted to be helping both projects build for a brighter future."