Housebuilders Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes have chosen Hertfordshire based Electric Umbrella as one of just three charities across the UK to receive a £25,000 donation from its Community Fund this year.
Electric Umbrella, charity of the year for the housebuilder’s North Thames division, delivers live and interactive music experiences for learning disabled people across the region.
Electric Umbrella’s education programme reaches over 40,000 students and teachers annually, visiting over 150 mainstream primary schools to date, alongside SEND (Special Educational Needs & Disabilities) schools across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and North London, delivering workshops and performances lead by their learning disabled members, shoulder to shoulder with their team of professional musicians.
The donation from Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes will enable the charity to expand its programme and meet the increased demand for its interactive sessions, impacting another 7000 SEND and 15,000 mainstream primary school children and teachers each year, and creating additional Crew Day opportunities for their members.
This donation comes from The Barratt Foundation, the housebuilder’s charity partnership, which aims to support local charities and groups wherever Barratt Developments PLC operates across the UK.
Mel Boda, Electric Umbrella CEO, commented: “It is fantastic to have this scale of support from Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes. The generous donation will enable us to increase the number of children and teachers we can work with, helping us to reach another 7,000 SEND children and 15,000 mainstream primary school children and teachers.
“We are extremely grateful for any fundraising efforts and to have the long-term support from businesses, as it enables us to meet increased demand, and make even more of an impact throughout the year. We have seen firsthand how regular visits can help to support the development of a truly inclusive culture in schools and empower our learning-disabled members, building their confidence, skills, and leadership potential”
Electric Umbrella plays at gigs and festivals and runs a programme of online activities, alongside regular music sessions, workshops, crew days and performances at locations across Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas.
Marc Woolfe, Sales and Marketing Director for Barratt David Wilson North Thames, adds: “Electric Umbrella’s programme provides incredible opportunities for learning disabled people to embrace new experiences and be seen as successful and effective leaders. Their work with schools represents a huge step in challenging the way people think about their members and others like them. It really is brilliant to see the impact Electric Umbrella has on such a wide audience across the UK, and we are proud to put forward this donation for such a brilliant cause.”
Since The Barratt Foundation launched in 2021, it has donated more than £12m of funding to more than 1,000 charities. This significant achievement underlines its commitment to support communities across the UK and lead the industry in its charitable giving.
Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes are currently building a range of new homes across Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, and Hertfordshire.
If a you have a learning disabled family member or friend, who may be interested in joining Electric Umbrella, or you would be interested in learning more about Electric Umbrella’s performances and workshops for schools or corporate performances and training programmes, more information is available at https://www.electricumbrella.org.uk
