A charitable organisation supporting young people in Oxfordshire has been awarded a financial contribution to fund its continuing operations.

The Didcot-based group, which also operates in Wallingford, secured the £1,000 grant from Persimmon Homes Wessex via the housebuilder’s Community Champions initiative.

The organisation provides mentorship services, street-based youth work, leadership development schemes, and community action initiatives, with particular emphasis on assisting underprivileged young people throughout the southern part of the county.

Pauline Fletcher, sales director at Persimmon Homes Wessex, explained that as a regional housebuilder maintaining a substantial long-term commitment to Didcot, the company was committed to backing worthwhile projects that strengthened neighbourhoods and offered essential services to existing and future residents.

She noted that the application from the youth charity was welcomed enthusiastically, and the donation would enable the continuation of valuable work with the town’s young population.

The organisation’s approach to youth engagement relies on building relationships and operates on a voluntary basis.

Its mission encompasses building self-assurance among young people, facilitating their return to educational settings, and assisting them in pursuing constructive life pathways.

Ben Drabble, chief executive of the youth charity, expressed appreciation for the developer’s backing.

He outlined that the organisation’s activities commenced two and a half decades ago following the identification of insufficient sustained community resources available to young people in Didcot.

Over the subsequent twenty years, the programme has evolved to address emerging needs while maintaining close collaboration with local residents to maximise its effectiveness for young people.

Persimmon Homes Wessex holds responsibility for constructing approximately half of the 4,254 residences proposed for the Valley Park neighbourhood in Didcot.