Employees walk 155 miles in support of Plunkett

Walk for Plunkett

Plunkett UK set a goal for the participants of Walk for Plunkett to collectively reach 1,000 miles to support communities across the UK who need Plunkett’s help to save a local shop, pub, farmland, or woodland through community ownership.

At Thakeham, we instantly knew we wanted to take part and contribute as many miles as we could for such a worthy charity that is so close to our hearts.

We are extremely pleased to announce that we contributed just over 155 miles collectively.

Josie Thornewill, Head of Sustainability for Thakeham, said, “Plunkett UK are the secret superstars behind more than 600 community businesses across the UK, addressing a range of issues including isolation, loneliness, wellbeing, work and training. I’m proud to be able to support both as a corporate member through Thakeham, the work we are doing together on the Woodgate Community Hub, but particularly at a personal level through Walk for Plunkett”.

Josie stopped off on her walk at Rusper Village Store that is supported by The Plunkett Foundation to purchase some produce.

Josie said, “I made it home from my walk with some local produce that you simply cant get from a normal shop, which is one of the many reasons people love community businesses so much!”

Walk for Plunkett coincided nicely with Mental Health Awareness Week with the theme for this year being ‘Nature’. We were delighted to get into the nature with our families over the weekend and explore the local countryside while supporting our partners at Plunkett UK.

Partnership

As part of Thakeham’s commitment to creating vibrant communities, we brought Plunkett UK on board to establish new community trusts at the heart of our developments. We share the same values and a vision of creating vibrant, resilient and sustainable places to live and work by empowering communities through community business. Plunkett helps us to create cohesive communities through sustainable and vibrant community hubs. Together, we create inspirational communities that will thrive for generations to come.

Community

As community creators, Community is one of our five core values that we live by. That’s why our partnership with Plunkett UK is so vital, whether the trust is a shop, pub or even a woodland, providing residents with the tools and opportunity to serve their community has proven a successful and sustainable way of creating a beating heart within residential development.

The new collaboration builds on the innovative community trust vision we are currently delivering at Woodgate in Pease Pottage. Woodgate features plans for a community hub, including Thakeham gifting a shop to a community trust and a café to local hospice St’ Catherine’s Trust.