Platform Home Ownership has donated £200 to a bereavement and veterans charity in Carterton.
Marianne Hands, store manager at Forces Support Carterton, pictured with Michelle Payne of Platform Home Ownership.
Forces Support Carterton received the generous donation from the housing association who have a new homes development coming soon to the town near Witney.
The donation will allow the charity to further support ex-service personnel, the families and dependents of those who have lost their lives while serving in the British Armed Forces.
To mark Blue Monday, widely believed to be one of the year’s bleakest days, Platform Home Ownership chose to donate to Forces Support Carterton to raise awareness around the issues faced by veterans and those who have recently left the armed forces.
This is the second charitable donation made by the housing association since the beginning of the new homes development on Milestone Road, with a Christmas donation made to Carterton Community Foodbank last month.
Launched in 2010, Forces Support assists those in need through financial hardship in conjuction with their partners, the provision of housing, as well as other forms of charitable support.
The charity also aims to ensure that the parents, widows and children of families bereaved through military death can access practical support, with the aim to create a national network of Forces Support outlets to raise funds needed to run the project throughout the UK.
The development, named the Falcons and just off Milestone Road, will be Platform’s first self-built site, with new homes to be available through Shared Ownership and Rent to Buy schemes.
Shared Ownership allows home seekers to purchase a share of their home and pay rent on the remaining amount, typically buying between 10% and 75% of the property’s full market value, depending on the model purchased with.
This lowers the amount needed for a deposit, with most deposits on Shared Ownership schemes between 5% and 10% of the share and not the full amount.
Between April 2021, and March 2022, Platform sold 563 Shared Ownership properties which is a 55% increase, owing to the increased popularity of the route to home ownership.
Through the process of staircasing, those using Shared Ownership can gradually increase the amount of their home that they own.
Marianne Hands, store manager at Forces Support Carterton said: “We’re very thankful for this kind donation from Platform, which will help us to continue to provide support for ex-service personnel and the families of those who we have lost while serving for their country.
“This donation is extremely generous and it’s great to be recognised by businesses in the area as a charity also supporting the local community, thank you.”
Sabina Cox, marketing manager at Platform, said: “It’s incredibly important to us at Platform that we contribute positively to the communities we provide homes for, and this will be evident throughout Carterton as our development progresses and beyond.
“We hope this donation will go a long way to supporting families and those who need that extra bit of support, especially during this time of economic uncertainty.”
For more information on Forces Support, please visit www.forcessuport.org.uk. For further details on The Falcons, please visit https://www.platformhomeownership.com/the-falcons-carterton/
