Cavanna Homes supports good causes in North Devon and Torridge

An animal charity, a football team and organisations dedicated to supporting children suffering family breakdowns and bereavement are among the good causes in North Devon and Torridge that have received grants this autumn from Westcountry-based housebuilder Cavanna Homes.

The community grants, totalling just over £2,250, are linked to new homes being built at Hollywell Meadow, North Molton and Bickington Park, near Barnstaple. In all, eight organisations have received a share of the fund.

Cavanna Homes has been creating homes in the South West for more than 100 years. It regularly provides funding for local organisations as part of its mission to support vibrant communities in the areas where it is building.

The three organisations that have received grants from the Bickington Park fund include two that support children in crisis – Family Time Service and Families in Grief – and a football club for youngsters in Torrington.

In North Molton the Hollywell Meadow fund has given donations to Helping the Animals of North Devon (HANDS), North Molton Sports and Community Centre, Friends of North Molton Primary School, the Northern Devon Food Bank and North Molton Youth FC.

HANDS volunteer veterinary surgeon, Heather Hammond, said the funding will help members of the dedicated volunteer team at the charity to continue their mission of helping pets and wildlife in North Devon.

She went on: “The charity’s main purposes are to facilitate veterinary treatments for sick or injured pets belonging to owners unable to afford normal veterinary fees, occasionally those owned by disabled or vulnerable people who are unable to attend a veterinary clinic and also rescuing injured wildlife.

“Thanks to Cavanna Homes for providing funds to help towards veterinary procedures and transporting sick and injured animals, we are truly grateful.”

The Northern Devon Food Bank provides food for families across the Torridge and North Devon Districts – one of the largest rural areas covered by any food bank in the country. Organiser James Cragie said the charity is supported by food donations from the public and supermarkets and has around 120 volunteers – but still needs financial backing.

He said running two vans to collect and distribute food to collection points, along with training costs and a salary for a single staff member all added up. “Unfortunately, even volunteers are not cost free,” he said. “We are grateful for all the support we get and will put this funding from Cavanna Homes to good use.”

The Food Bank supports around 100 households per month with food parcels and is shortly to launch a new pick-up service from the community shop in North Molton, close to Cavanna Homes new development in the community.

The Family Time service is part of a range of provisions that enable Devon County Council to support children to maintain contact with their birth families, where a child is in the care of a Local Authority, the Local Authority must allow ‘reasonable contact’ between a child in its care and their parents, guardian, and others with parental responsibility.

Family Time is the opportunity for children who are in the care of the Local Authority to spend time with their parents, family members and other important people in their lives. It is essential that children and young people are supported to maintain relationships with their families and other people who are important to them, unless it is considered not in the child’s best interest to do so.
Cavanna Homes awarded the service £335 from the Bickington Park Community Fund following an application by Hanna Leach, the Family Time service manager for Devon. The funds will be used at the Barnstaple Family Time centre.

Hanna said that whilst the service comes under Devon County Council the Cavanna Homes’ Community Grant would provide something extra to improve the experience for children.
She said: “We are so pleased to have been awarded this funding. The Family Time Service has decided to spend this money on some children’s tables and chairs, baby resources, some art and craft resources and an air fryer for our families to be able cook the children food during their sessions.”

Hanna said the need for the Family Time Service was increasing, particularly in North Devon. Children being removed under the Local Authority means more children are going into care with foster families, but still need to have supervised sessions with their birth parents.

The charity Families in Grief has also been awarded £335 to support its work with bereaved children, providing one-to-one counselling, group activities and training for teachers, GPs and other professionals who might come into contact with grieving children.

Susan Marsh, the Barnstaple-based charity’s fundraising and communications manager, said some of the money would be used to help celebrate their 20th anniversary next year (2026). “We want to expand our offering and put money in the pot to support more children.”

The charity, which supports children and youngsters aged from four to 25 from all over North Devon and Torridge districts, provides a vital service at what can be a frightening, upsetting and sometimes lonely time after the loss of a loved one.

“We’ve had some support from BBC Children in Need and some support from the National Lottery, but community fundraising makes up around a quarter of our income and so grants like this from Cavanna Homes are very important,” she said.

Staff costs and accommodation make up the biggest costs for the charity, which is based at Castle Lodge in Barnstaple, so all donations help make sure that children get the support that they need.
Meanwhile Torrington Under 11s Football Club, another recipient of support from the Cavanna Homes fund, has recently stepped up an age-bracket from running an Under-9s team. Organisers plan to put the grant from the housebuilder toward buying larger goals.

Head Coach Ross McNicholas said a big thank you to Cavanna for the financial support.

“We’re all massively grateful for this funding,” he said. “We couldn’t buy any of the kit we need without companies like Cavanna Homes.”

At Bickington Park, Barnstaple, Cavanna Homes is building 77 energy-efficient 2, 3 & 4-bedroom homes just off Bickington Road, within walking distance of the village’s local amenities. The new homes will be fitted with air source heat pumps and electric vehicle charging points, with the majority also having roof-mounted solar panels.

At Hollywell Meadow, North Molton, 39, energy efficient, 1, 2, 3 & 4-bedroom homes are being built off Fore Street, adjacent to the village primary school. Hollywell Meadow will include a village green, allotments, an equipped play area and a footpath linking the development to the village sports and community centre.