Building new homes is only part of what we do. At Pennyfarthing Homes, we’re equally committed to supporting the communities where we build, creating lasting partnerships with local schools, charities and organisations. From sponsoring community events and supporting environmental projects to investing in local facilities, the past couple of years have been filled with opportunities to give something back. As summer gets underway, we’re taking a moment to celebrate some of those highlights.
Our work with schools has been particularly rewarding. There’s something very special about the enthusiasm and fresh perspectives that children deliver. This summer, we had the privilege of working with pupils from Ashley Junior School’s Eco Team and Tom Lane from EcoSupport, hosting an exciting day of outdoor learning and discovery. With a focus on nature and wildlife conservation, the hands-on event saw pupils build bug hotels to take home to their gardens, ready to observe and report back to their classmates over the coming weeks. Four insect havens were also built for the show homes at Danes Park in New Milton – a reflection of our commitment to weaving biodiversity into each and every Pennyfarthing Homes development.
A very different but equally valuable school project also saw our team connect with The Arnewood School recently, welcoming a group of five Year 11 students to Danes Park to give them a taster of careers in construction. After a brief site tour, Assistant Site Manager Amy Borrowdale spoke to the students about the wide range of roles involved in delivering a major housing project. Amy also spoke about the growing number of women in construction and how the industry is developing, providing plenty of inspiration for their potential future careers.
Charity work and sponsorships are also key to Pennyfarthing’s deep-rooted local connections. We are proud to have sponsored the West Ring at the New Forest Show for over 20 years, celebrating some of the finest showjumpers in the region, while our sponsorship of the hugely popular New Forest Boxing Day Point-to-Point dates back 35 years.
Another key Pennyfarthing sponsorship this year has been the Oakhaven Walk, which took place in May. Raising funds for Oakhaven Hospice, the event saw walkers of all abilities come together for a memorable coastal challenge in honour of the exceptional care, dignity and
compassion the hospice provides on a daily basis. Pennyfarthing is proud to have sponsored the event multiple times, so that every penny walkers raise can go directly to supporting Oakhaven Hospice’s work. The event raised an incredible £187,000 in 2026, with several Pennyfarthing Homes team members among the 650 walkers.
One rewarding aspect of this community-focused work is the diversity it encompasses. Over the past couple of years, Pennyfarthing’s support has ranged from sponsoring the opening of the supporters’ stand at Holt Football Club in Wimborne (with a special appearance from local legend Harry Redknapp) to handing over a cheque for £2,500 to support the transformation of the historic Station Master’s House in New Milton.
Support for infrastructure projects like this also takes place via New Forest District Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Fund. CIL is a charge local authorities collect from developers on new building projects, with the fund making this available for projects that improve local infrastructure and benefit communities. Our CIL contributions will include over £1.3 million in respect of Danes Park, along with £600,000 made for the first phase of developing 74 new homes at Sandle Park in Fordingbridge. These contributions translate to grants of up to £100,000 for local community projects and infrastructure, awarded by the New Forest District Council.
Pennyfarthing Homes also takes requests for funding directly from local charities and community causes. We invite applications from meaningful causes and projects within a 20-mile radius of Pennyfarthing developments, with a sponsorship window that opens from 1st December to 31st January each year. During 2025, this work saw us support over 30 local causes, from Bashley Cricket Club to Wessex Neurological Centre. In total during the year, we donated over £30,000 to charitable causes across Hampshire.
Now, with the summer stretching out in front of us and our local communities enjoying the sunshine, we’re already thinking ahead to the second half of the year, focusing on where and how Pennyfarthing Homes can make a meaningful impact over the coming months (and years).
