Housebuilder’s Community Fund donation will support local Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

A fundraising appeal from Derriford Hospital in Plymouth has been given a generous boost – thanks to Barratt Homes’ Community Fund

The £1,000 donation will go directly to the hospital’s Keep Me Close Appeal and will be used to support the provision and development of parental accommodation for the parents of babies who are being cared for on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

The Keep Me Close Appeal is aimed at providing parental accomodation for the parents of babies cared for at the NICU ward. The charity encourages parents to remain close by to promote bonding, maternal and paternal mental health as well as having plenty of involvement in their child‘s developmental needs.

Tracey Stacey, Neonatal Fundraiser at University Hospital Plymouth said: “At Derriford Hospital we take some of the most premature babies in the South West region – so their parents could be with us for a number of days or even weeks.

“It has always been our dream to be able to provide these parents a home from home to try and relieve a little bit of stress that they are going through. Last November, this became a reality and we are now able to offer this through our ‘40 nights stay’ scheme – offered to parents in our accommodation.

“It is from donations such as the one from Barratt Homes that has made this a possibility – and we can not thank Barratt Homes enough. “

Janice Old works for Barratt Homes in Exeter and nominated the charity after it provided support to her granddaughter Darcie. “When Darcie was born in 2016 she was not breathing but they were able to bring her back to us. She needed extra care to make sure there were no long term effects from having a traumatic birth, and we were told she had been starved of oxygen for a short time. You can imagine how we felt as a family, but thankfully she recovered well and is now a very happy four-year-old. If it wasn’t for the special care provided by Plymouth NICU she might not be here, and we couldn’t think of a more deserving cause for this donation.”

Nicki Reid, sales director from Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes said: “As the nation’s leading homebuilder, we strive to create a positive legacy in the areas that we build in.

“We feel honoured to support such a worthy cause and are proud to be have played a part in their vital fundraising efforts. We wish the team our heartfelt gratitude for the incredible work that they do.”

Barratt Homes is currently bringing new homes near Plymouth through its Lucerne Fields development in Ivybridge.

Just a 20-minute drive away from Derriford Hospital, the brand-new development offers a selection of two, three and four-bedroom homes, while boasting excellent transport links that give easy access to Plymouth and Exeter.