Slap band donation reflects our support for Walk to School Campaign
We are helping to shine a light on the importance of leaving the car at home and walking to school this autumn by supporting Walk to School Month. This takes place every October and encourages parents to walk their children to school instead of travelling by car.
Pupils at Kingsnorth Primary School with our Sales Executive Marilyn
We are working in partnership with schools to support the initiative by supplying pupils with high-visibility slap bands to wear during the darker autumn and winter months.
The aim of the campaign is to promote healthy lifestyles – especially in the light of growing concern about levels of childhood obesity and fitness – and reduce the number of vehicles on the roads.
We have provided 60 slap bands to encourage pupils at Kingsnorth Primary School in Ashford to walk to school – and help keep them safe on the journey. It is part of a campaign that will see more than 12,000 slap bands provided to children across the country.
Jason Stokes, Regional Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey South East says: “We are committed to supporting the communities in which we build our high-quality new homes, which is why we are working in partnership with Kingsnorth Primary School as part of Walk to School Month.
“We understand that family life can be busy, but walking to school is one of the easiest ways for children to increase their level of physical activity and get fit. We hope our contribution will help inspire families to swap the car for a safe walk to school instead.”
Mr Witts, headteacher at Kingsnorth Primary School, says: “We encourage the children to walk to school to promote a healthier lifestyle and to reduce traffic outside the school. We are very grateful to Taylor Wimpey for this generous donation which will help raise the profile of Walk to School Month among pupils and parents alike.”
Walk to School Month is an annual nationwide campaign that promotes the benefits of walking to school, which results in healthier young people and less traffic on the roads.
Help to Buy opens the door to Lauren and Stephen’s dream home at Bridgefield
First-time buyers Lauren Johnson and Stephen Edmonds have made their first step onto the property ladder using the Government’s Help to Buy scheme to purchase a brand new home at our Bridgefield development.
This popular initiative gave Lauren (24) and Stephen (26) the extra boost they needed to move out of their family homes in Folkestone and into their dream house – the three-bedroom, two and a half storey ‘Orlestone’.
Lauren and Stephen are enjoying life in their new home.
Lauren, who works in marketing in the nearby village of Charing, says: “This home is our first purchase together and Help to Buy really opened more doors for us and enabled us to have a wider choice.
“With the scheme, we were able to future proof, so rather than just buying a two-bedroom property as a starter home, we’ve been able to buy a bigger property that we can grow into. It’s been a real lifesaver as we’ve got the house we love.”
Using Help to Buy, first-time buyers as well as existing homeowners, can secure a Government loan for up to 20% of their new home’s full price, so they only need a 75% loan-to-value mortgage and a deposit as low as 5%.
The scheme is available on new-build homes up to the value of £600,000 and there’s no salary cap for purchasers making use of the initiative.
Lauren says: “This is the biggest decision we’ve made so far, and I was so pleased with the support we received for every step of the process.
“It felt like the Taylor Wimpey staff were on our side more than it did with other companies, and the sales team was brilliant, Karen especially. Everyone was always more than happy to help – there were times when I was emailing the sales staff on a daily basis but nothing was too much trouble!”
The couple moved into their brand new home on 10th June and are thoroughly enjoying life at Bridgefield.
“We absolutely love the new house,” Lauren adds. “A new-build home really appealed to us because it’s so easy and fresh and with Taylor Wimpey’s wide range of interior Options that were available we could really put our own stamp on it.
“We were able to choose the kitchen and personalise everything down to the surfaces and tiles, so we really enjoyed getting involved in the interior design aspect of buying the property.”
The pair decided to move to Ashford from their parents’ homes on the nearby coast due to work commitments.
Lauren adds: “Stephen uses the train to commute to London, where he works in insurance, and my morning commute is now a 15 minute all-round trip and includes taking Stephen to the train station, which in peak traffic is really good!
“We looked around a couple of developments while we were house-hunting but we just fell in love with the area and the houses at Bridgefield – Taylor Wimpey properties were really set apart from their competition.
“It made more sense for us to move to this location as it has great travel links for work, plus shopping outlets and supermarkets. We just love it.”