As part of our national Proud campaign, we are asked people to vote for a community cause to receive a donation of up to £500. The causes nominated for Eclipse are listed below.
The Limes Community and Children's Centre
An independent charity in the heart of the local community of Walthamstow.
Walthamstow and Chingford Almshouse Charity
A charity that provides sheltered housing for older people from Walthamstow or Chingford in the London Borough of Waltham Forest.
The winner is The Limes Community and Children's Centre, congratulations - and a big thank you to everyone that took the time to vote, we and the community causes really appreciate it.
Harry and George’s long-term friendship proves the perfect solution to becoming first-time buyers
When Harry Lywood and George Poyner met aged five years old, living in Ludlow in Shropshire at the time, they would never have guessed that years down the line they would have moved to London and be buying their first property together at Taylor Wimpey’s Eclipse in Walthamstow, at the tender age of just 20.
Both Harry and George work in property sales - George at an Estate Agent’s in Hackney, and Harry as a Sales Executive at another Taylor Wimpey development. This gave them an understanding of how easy the property buying process can be. They quickly realised that by using the Government-backed Help to Buy scheme they could afford to buy their first own home with just a 5% deposit.
Harry said: “It wasn’t until I was working in property sales that I discovered how simple the buying process is. George and I getting a mortgage together using the Help to Buy scheme meant we could say goodbye to renting - we just couldn’t believe it!
“Having seen first-hand the build quality of the Taylor Wimpey homes I had every confidence in suggesting this as our first step on the property ladder. We chose a three-bedroom top floor duplex apartment at the Eclipse development as we felt it offered very good value for money in a great, up-and-coming area which we can’t help but think will therefore be a good investment.
“It has been really interesting to experience the buying process from the other side for a change. The sales staff at Eclipse have been extremely helpful and we have just taken it all one step at a time with their guidance and it has been really easy. We’re now thrilled that we took this step as we get on so well as friends and it really made sense. We’re really looking forward to moving into the apartment by the end of the year.”
Walthamstow community centre gets garden revamp thanks to Taylor Wimpey
Staff, volunteers and visitors at a Walthamstow community arts centre are looking forward to a new year full of outdoor activity after our East London team stepped in to revamp their garden for free.
Directors at Gnome House community interest company (CIC) spent months planning for the overhaul of the space behind their building in Blackhorse Lane, right next to the Eclipse development. But issues with the contractor that they initially appointed left them unable to complete the garden.
Thankfully the team working on Eclipse stepped in and took on the project at no cost to the CIC. The garden is now complete, and the Walthamstow community was invited to join volunteers and local councillors for the grand opening on Saturday 15th December 2018.
Mark Burton, one of three volunteer directors at Gnome House, said: "We're delighted that Taylor Wimpey East London has been such a generous and thoughtful neighbour to Gnome House community arts centre.
“We were left with a huge problem after being let down by a contractor in spring this year, but thankfully the Taylor Wimpey team offered to build our new garden at no cost to the centre. They brought in tonnes of new topsoil, built walls, fixed drains and even gave Gnome House a new shed. They promised to help and then did more than we could have expected.
"Now we have a team of garden volunteers ready to start planting and planning for 2019 and beyond. This means that from the spring onward our user groups, including lots of local children, will have a wonderful new space where they can learn, create and play."
Stella Creasy, MP for Walthamstow, said: "Taylor Wimpey East London is building one of the biggest housing developments in my constituency so I’ve followed its progress closely. Areas of interest for me are always the provision of social housing, the environmental credentials of new buildings and how the development will benefit the existing community.
“I’m therefore really pleased to see that Taylor Wimpey has given such a helping-hand to Gnome House and created such a wonderful community garden. It shows what is possible when developers and the community collaborate. Taylor Wimpey has built the space – and now the Gnome House community volunteers are filling it with ideas, energy and enthusiasm for everyone’s benefit."