A RETIREMENT housebuilder working on a development in Crowthorne has donated £500 to a local charity.

McCarthy and Stone, which is behind the new Birch Place development in Duke's Ride, made the donation to Crowthorne Old Age to Teen Society (COATS) to help the charity continue its vital efforts within the community.

The charity, which was founded in the 1960s, promotes the welfare of senior citizens within Crowthorne and the surrounding areas, running a community hub in Pinewood Avenue providing cooked lunches, tea and entertainment for older people throughout the week.

The charity's chairman, John Barnes said: "Every year upwards of one hundred of our senior citizens benefit from the work we do. We are delighted to receive this kind donation and gesture of support from McCarthy and Stone. As a local charity with only a small team of professional staff and many volunteers supporting our activities, donations of this kind are extremely important to us in helping to maintain our range of services to the local elderly community. It’s also really great to see a company such as McCarthy and Stone creating developments that will improve the wellbeing of retirees in Crowthorne.”

Jackie Spencer-Cavell for McCarthy and Stone, said: “As a company we appreciate that our responsibilities go further than developing quality retirement properties - we also seek to create a positive legacy and make a difference in the communities in which we build.

“When we were looking for a charity in the Crowthorne area to support, COATS stood out for its dedication to providing a wide range of services to the local elderly people-in the same way our company seeks to provide increased, quality housing choice for people in later life, and which offers independence, security and companionship. It was our absolute pleasure to present this donation to such a deserving charity.”