The Managed Services Community Fund, in partnership with Wickes, has donated £5,000 of funding to a stand-out community project, following a competition at CIH Housing 2015.
Managed Services, part of Travis Perkins plc, which provides maintenance materials and supply chain planning for public sector organisations, in partnership with Wickes, has awarded £5,000 to Friends of Westfield Farm, a community project based in Dormanstown, Redcar, following a competition held at CIH Housing 2015.

The community of Dormanstown, Redcar is an area of deprivation and high unemployment, with many children and elderly people living in food poverty. Westfield Farm, a community hub in Dormanstown, seeks to combat this situation through a variety of initiatives, including a gardening volunteer programme to provide homegrown produce and meals, as well as a schools education projects on healthy eating. Work Hubs provide careers information, advice and guidance, whilst Digital Champion volunteers support residents to access online services and improve their skills - all of which can help with future employment opportunities.

Friends of Westfield Farm submitted a comprehensive project proposal on how the funding could support all areas of their work and would allow them provide support for 500 additional local people, an increase from the 2,000 they currently work with. Judges were impressed and felt Friends of Westfield Farm was a stand-out project that covered all categories: investing in the community; employment, education, skills and training; health and wellbeing and environment. As a result, they awarded the organisation the full £5,000-worth of funding.

Westfield Farm coordinator Barry McBride said: "We're really grateful for the funding from Travis Perkins Managed Services. It will allow us to build on our success by giving us the scope to expand and improve our current offerings, as well as develop new programmes.

"Our community gardeners are really excited about the funding as it means they'll be able to recover the poly tunnel, allowing them to continue to grow produce into the winter months."

Wickes for Business social housing specialist Chris Pentland commented: "The Friends of Westfield Farm project will greatly benefit the local community - actively supporting and assisting those that are most in need. We are proud to have partnered with Travis Perkins on this worthy initiative and feel the £5k will go a long way."

Managed Services managing director Stuart Hough said: "Community projects are a really important part of what we do here at Managed Services, and we are really pleased to be able to support Friends of Westfield Farm. We think the judges have made the right choice and look forward to seeing the project progress."