Our Chosen Charities

The Bumblebee Conservation Trust

We choose the BCT because we want to work in partnership with a charity who can help us and our owners to improve gardens for bees. Pollinators are seriously at risk from increased pesticide use and land-use changes.

All our houses have gardens. Some of our team and our owners are farmers and caretake large tracts of land. By working with them to help educate, inspire and create simple practical change we can make a significant difference to insect and plant habitats.

Our target is that by 2023 we want at least half of our owners to be planting with pollinators in mind.

Check out our blog post to read why gardening with pollinators in mind is so important to the food we eat and biodiversity.

The Crossings

Serving the New Forest’s Waterside area, they provide a warm welcome and services to bring hope and help against homelessness.

The local charity was set up with the primary aim of supporting people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness across the Waterside area of the New Forest. Since February 2019 it has run regular drop-in sessions offering a safe place to come for a hot drink and talk or just hang out in a non-judgemental environment welcoming all. Also local outreach work supporting those recently housed. The Crossings is able to help with Homesearch applications & homeless related benefits, signposting to other agencies including Foodbank. It is operated by a team of trained volunteers and employs a part-time Project Leader.

Susan, who works on our sales team, chose this charity for the year.

Basics Bank

The Basics Bank provides food and other essentials to people and organisations in need in the New Forest area.

Their standard food parcel for a household is designed to feed the household for 7 days, 3 meals a day as well as providing toiletries and cleaning products. The charity is run by volunteers, using donated food and various items that are packed into individual parcels and then delivered to those in need.

They often have a wish list of items that they are in particular need of… we use this list to donate items at various times throughout the year.

Toilet Twinning

It only costs £60 to twin a toilet which helps fund a hygiene project in a poor community that will enable families to build a basic toilet, have access to clean water and learn about hygiene – a vital combination that saves lives.

When you twin, a certificate is sent which can be hung in your loo – showing a photograph of your overseas toilet twin and GPS coordinates so you can look up your twin’s location on Google Maps!

For many communities, hearing about the link between sanitation and health is a revelation: a light bulb moment. Many have never known why diarrhoea is so common, and why their children have fallen ill or died. Suddenly, they understand. And then they want a latrine – that they build themselves. Because a family who have built their own latrine is much more likely to use it and look after it.

Simon Says

Simon Says is a Hampshire based charity who support children and young people (under 18) who have a significant person in their life who has died, or is dying.

Offering a dedicated telephone line, hosting dedicated groups, and running an annual residential weekend, this charity provides a wide range of support, and has been helping children since 2001.

The team took park in the 2022 New Forest Marathon’s 5k race and beat our target of £500 and raised an incredible £650 for this amazing charity.