Our Communities
Giving back and helping others
![four nhbc staff members holding an 'our communities hero' flag while smiling at the camera](/binaries/content/gallery/nhbccontentmanagementsystem/about-us/our-communities-hero.jpg)
Our Communities is the name for corporate social responsibility at NHBC and it is how we support the communities in which we operate and where our colleagues live, working with charity partners who are aligned with our values.
What we do
We deliver the aims of our Communities through a combination of activities and events, working with and fundraising for our charity partners, matched funding for money raised by our people for their own local causes and volunteering.
Our aims
Sharing our skills and knowledge
Inclusivity and support for minority groups
A local and nationwide reach
Our charity partners
Our head office is in Milton Keynes and we are pleased to work with some great local organisations including Action4Youth and Worktree who both support young people. The Milton Keynes Food Bank, has our continued support, which is needed more than ever during these challenging economic times, and we also work with the Milton Keynes Community Foundation, which provides small grants on our behalf to local projects related to education, young people, and issues of deprivation.
Crisis is our national charity partner and we have been supporting their important work to end homelessness since 2018 through fundraising, education, sponsorship and volunteering.
![the crisis charity logo in red and black on a white background](/binaries/content/gallery/nhbccontentmanagementsystem/about-us/crisis.png)
Crisis
Crisis is a UK national charity formed in 1967 as an urgent response to the growing homelessness crisis. Since then they have helped tens of thousands of people out of homelessness and campaigned for change. Working directly with thousands of people experiencing homelessness every year, Crisis provides vital help so that people can rebuild their lives and are supported out of homelessness for good.
Find out more![the worktree logo in green and black on a white background](/binaries/content/gallery/nhbccontentmanagementsystem/about-us/worktree.png)
Worktree
Worktree is an employability education charity with roots deep in MK. As a community of 3,000 volunteers, they are like the trunk of a tree, the solid foundation that enables young people to experience, dream and blossom. They facilitate conversations with working people so that students can talk openly to them about what they do, find out how they got there, understand and potentially imagine themselves in that role.
Find out more![the action4youth logo in red on a white background](/binaries/content/gallery/nhbccontentmanagementsystem/about-us/action4youth.png)
Action 4 Youth
Action 4 Youth has been encouraging, motivating and supporting clubs, groups and organisations for young people throughout Buckinghamshire for over 70 years. They run the highly successful Caldecotte Xperience providing adventure and outdoor education for the region.
Find out more![the mk community logo in various colours on a white background](/binaries/content/gallery/nhbccontentmanagementsystem/about-us/mk-community.png)
MK Community Foundation
MK Community Foundation is a leading grant-making charity sending funding where it's needed most in Milton Keynes. With so many vulnerable, isolated, and disadvantaged people in Milton Keynes they’re proud to be leading the way in supporting community projects and charitable activities to help create a fairer more connected community.
Find out more![the food bank logo in light and dark green on a white background](/binaries/content/gallery/nhbccontentmanagementsystem/about-us/food-bank.png)
MK Food Bank
MK Food Bank has supported the local community with emergency food parcels since 2004. Relying solely on donations of food and money from the local community, schools, churches and corporate sponsors. The cost-of-living crisis is affecting more and more people on our doorstep right now. In 2022 so far MK Food Bank has given out 15,000 emergency food parcels. This is 30% more than this time last year and rising all the time.
Find out moreMatched funding
As well as fundraising for our charity partners, we support colleagues fundraising for the charities that matter most to them, through our matched funding scheme. We match fund individuals and teams of 4 or more NHBC people.
Volunteering
Volunteering is an important part of how we give back and help our communities. Everyone at NHBC can take up to two days’ paid volunteering leave every year.
Our support in action
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Samanala Valley Hospital in Sri Lanka
"I travelled with my husband and friends to the Samanala Valley Hospital, a community hospital which carries out much needed cataract operations for the local community. Surgeons from Sri Lanka and around the world volunteer their time to carry out the operations, and we helped to restore the sight of 70 people with 72 operations in 3 days! These were retired and working people, including teachers and drivers, so their sight is essential for the wellbeing of their families."
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London Landmarks
Lee Turmel, Building Inspector, ran the London Landmarks half marathon with a broken rib, in an impressive time of 2:16 and raising money for a children’s cancer charity Aoife’s Bubbles.
“I always intended to run the London Landmarks half marathon to aid getting back to a level of fitness. After signing myself and a friend up we embarked on the training week in week out.
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Fathers' football fundraiser
Lou Taylor, Principal Commercial Surveyor, created a football team for dads - the Melbourne Allstars - in his local village of Melbourne, East Yorkshire. Lou's idea was to bring dads in their 30-50s together to play friendly games of football at the village recreation ground. Although originally intended as just a kick about, Lou says it’s since become much more than just about football.
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NHBC teams placed first and third in Action4Youth's Xtreme Challenge
On Tuesday 16 April, two teams from NHBC participated in a thrilling obstacle course across land and water. Designed to build teamwork, the course included exhilarating challenges from climbing, abseiling, caving, striking arrows, canoeing, running and wading. The event raised over £13,000 with teams helping to create life-enhancing experiences for all young people, especially for those with disabilities and complex needs.
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London Technical Operations team volunteer at Loughton School, Milton Keynes
Lee Bidaudville, Dave Cummins, Mark Howson and Jason Richardson, all colleagues from Valentino Rivolta’s (London) Technical Operations team, volunteered at Loughton School in Milton Keynes.They got stuck in with clearing weeds from an old planting bed, saving the flowers for replanting by a pergola which was to be installed over Easter.
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Complex Claims colleagues redecorate sensory room
Over the course of a week, 15 colleagues from Complex Claims redecorated a sensory room at Furze House, a venue supporting the needs of children with special needs and their families living within the Milton Keynes area. The team split into groups of four or five spending a day each to complete the task.
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The Cambridgeshire BI team ‘can’
Following the launch of our MK Food Bank Logo Challenge ‘from cans to creativity’, the Cambridgeshire BI team held a collection for the Milton Keynes Food Bank.