Bellway gives donation to help after-school club in Sproughton

A local housebuilder has given a donation to help a breakfast and after-school club for children that serves three villages near Ipswich.

Bellway Essex, which is building new homes at its Lockwood Place development in Bramford, has given £500 to the Sunshine Breakfast and After-School Club based in Sproughton.

The club, which is run as a non-profit-making Community Interest Company (CIC), takes in children from Sproughton Primary School, Bramford Primary School and Claydon Primary School.

Katie Worby, who has two children at Sproughton Primary School, set up the club in September 2023 to help herself and other working parents who need a childcare facility.

The club, which is based at Sproughton Church Hall and operates five days a week from 7.30am until 8.45am and from 3.10pm until 6pm, has three paid staff and two volunteer directors.

Bellway Essex donated cash, 25 hi-vis vests and five large umbrellas to the club.

Katie said: “We have spent some of the money on two computer tablets for the children to use for homework and some on sensory toys as we have some youngsters with special education needs. The remainder of the donation will go towards meeting our weekly running costs which include renting the church hall and paying the staff members.

“We are close enough to walk pupils from Sproughton Primary School to and from school for the club, so the high-vis vests and umbrellas come in handy to make sure the children are seen and to help keep them dry on rainy days. At the moment, we borrow a minibus from a local Scout group to transport children to and from the other two schools but we hope to buy our own vehicle one day.

“All of us at the club are incredibly grateful to Bellway Essex for giving us this money. It is great to know that we have the support of such a prestigious national company which is building new homes in the local area.”

Laura Trigg, Sales Manager at Bellway Essex, said: “When Katie approached us for help, we were very happy to support the club, which is only a mile and half from our Lockwood Place development. She is a working mum and has done a brilliant job in organising the club which enables her and other parents to go to work safe in the knowledge that their children are being well looked after.

“It is great to know that our money has been used to buy tablets and sensory toys to engage the children who attend the club. Katie told us that the money will not only go towards meeting running costs but will also be used to replenish the stock of arts and crafts materials which are used to entertain and educate the children.”

Bellway Essex is building 190 new homes at Lockwood Place, off Loraine Way in Bramford. For more information about the development, call the sales team on 01473 905446 or visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/essex/lockwood-place.