Two Birmingham health charities that actively support their local communities have received donations from a regional house-builder. Smiling Families and Headway Birmingham & Solihull were both awarded £1,000 by Persimmon Homes Central, through the house-builder’s Community Champions scheme.

The scheme has been running since 2015 and across the UK Persimmon awards 64 grants of up to £1,000 each month – a total of up to £768,000 a year. Smiling Families supports families affected by serious and terminal illness.

Spokesperson for the charity Kerry Martin-Beades said: “As many of our families have short amounts of time together we arrange respite, days out, wish granting as well as support sessions and group therapy. Covid has had a huge impact on our funding and has increased the number of families referred to us. But thanks to Persimmon Homes this wonderful donation will help us do so much and we are truly grateful.”

Headway Birmingham & Solihull is raising funds to install a lift at its two-storey brain injury centre in Wylde Green, north Birmingham. Fundraising manager Julie Wedgbury said: “The lift will enable all of our brain injured clients and their carers to access the whole of our building regardless of any disability or mobility issue.

“This planned project has become more vital than ever in light of the Covid crisis and the need to use all available space for social distancing. Thanks to Persimmon Homes the lift project will be able to get underway and will help us both now and moving forward as we expand our specialist rehabilitation services to meet an increasing demand as more people survive a serious brain injury.”

Sarah Preston, Sales Director for Persimmon Homes Central, said: “We are delighted that our Community Champions funding has helped two more such good causes in our region. If groups and charities are unsuccessful with their application one month, we urge them to visit the Persimmon Homes website and to try again the following month.”