Proud to support great local causes in Bishopton!
Bishopton Primary Children visit our Project 2020 at Dargavel Village
A group of children from Bishopton Primary School’s Biodiversity and Sustainability Group visited our two prototype homes, which have been launched as part of our research programme Project 2020, at Dargavel Village.
The prototype design - the Infinite House - is designed to reflect changing customer lifestyles, expectations and designs, whilst benefiting the environment. In addition to high performance insulation and renewable energy technology, the houses have the potential to suit different demographics, delivering a flexible approach which enables future buyers to customise their home to specific living requirements.
As part of the visit to the prototype homes, the children from Bishopton Primary were asked to spot the differences between the typical homes that we build at Dargavel Village and the Project 2020 homes, and also to give their views on the features of the houses.
Stephen Collins, Deputy Head Teacher at Bishopton Primary School adds: “We were delighted to have the opportunity to bring our Biodiversity and Sustainability Group to see these new prototype homes at Dargavel Village. The children were very impressed with the range of features that Taylor Wimpey is trialling and it’s been great for the children to see first-hand how we’re likely to be living in the future and the changes that developers are considering for the homes that will be built. We will be taking what we’ve seen back to the classroom to inform our learning.”
Kirsty McGill, Head of Sales said: “We’re thrilled that a group from Bishopton Primary’s Biodiversity and Sustainability Group were able to visit Project 2020 and give us their thoughts on our prototype designs.
“Project 2020 is about seeking out the most up-to-date research available and building homes to match how our customers want to live, by using innovative construction methods and materials that will deliver the quality they expect.”
For further general information on Project 2020 visit: www.taylorwimpey.co.uk/inspire-me/sustainable-living/project-2020
Three local community groups in Renfrewshire share our £1,000 Community Chest
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We have awarded £1,000 to three local community groups in Renfrewshire following the conclusion of our Community Chest initiative with the local newspaper, The Gazette, who asked the local community to nominate and vote for local causes to share the money.
Votes for Corseford Tenants and Residents Association secured the top position and they have won £500, which they plan to put towards the funding of a play area for kids in the area of Johnstone.
Active Communities, a local charity in Johnstone that runs physical activities, community sport, as well as health and wellbeing programmes, landed £300 from the Community Chest.
Finally, an award of £200 was given to Johnstone Central Scout Group, who plan to use this money to boost their funds to assist with trips and adventure camps for the cubs and scouts.
Commenting on the donation from Taylor Wimpey, Kevin Dick from Corseford Tenants and Residents Association, said: “We are incredibly grateful for the support of Taylor Wimpey and it was lovely to find out that we had received the most votes from the local community. We are always grateful for any extra funding we receive and Taylor Wimpey’s donation will give us a welcome boost to the projects that we have planned.
“We’re also delighted to see that two other local groups have also benefitted from Taylor Wimpey’s Community Chest to help with their own work in the local community of Renfrewshire.”
Audrey Ross, Sales and Marketing Director at Taylor Wimpey West Scotland, said: “We are proud to support local causes such as Corseford Tenants and Residents Association, Active Communities and Johnstone Central Scout group, who all do such valuable work in the local area of Renfrewshire.
“We hope that our donations to each of these organisations will help them to continue their activities for a range of people of all ages locally. We were delighted with the number of votes we received from the local community throughout this competition and would like to thank everyone who took part.”
We Are Proud To Leave A Lasting Legacy in Bishopton
Children from Bishopton Primary School in Bishopton have been getting green-fingered by planting 300 spring bulbs in planters for their school garden and playground.
We have donated 300 bulbs and several planters as part of our national Proud campaign to show our commitment and pride in leaving a lasting legacy in the communities in which we build.
The planting took place earlier this month and the bulbs are set to grow into a bright, floral tribute in the planters situated around the playground and in the school garden. Site Manager Stuart Rowan fromour development at Dargavel Village, Bishopton joined in with the planting.
Audrey Ross, Sales and Marketing Director at Taylor Wimpey West Scotland said: “We are proud to be building a new community at our Dargavel Village development in Bishopton, and we want to leave places that both our customers and other local residents will enjoy long after we have finished building.
“We were thrilled to help children from Bishopton Primary with the planting and we hope that the bulbs will grow into a lovely display that the children will admire in years to come.”
Stephen Collins, Deputy Head Teacher at Bishopton Primary School said: “It’s great for the local community to see the benefits of a project being undertaken in the area.
"The pupils loved getting involved in this initiative and having the opportunity to help with planting the bulbs.
"We can’t wait to see the results, which we will be able to enjoy every spring.”
We Fly The Flag For Local Renfrewshire School
We challenged the pupils of Bishopton Primary School to design a flag to mark the launch of our latest phase of new homes at Dargavel Village, Bishopton.
The winning design by primary 7 pupil, Sophie Bandoni, aged 11, has been produced into a flag that now flies at the entrance to the development to welcome new visitors, existing customers and homeowners alike. Sophie also won a £50 cinema voucher for her winning design.
The inspiration for the competition followed our donation of a flagpole to the school when they asked for our help when they won the Sport Scotland Award flag and had no means to fly it!
Children across all year groups were involved in this fun competition as Stephen Collins, Deputy Headteacher of Bishopton Primary School adds: “Giving our children the opportunity to work with Taylor Wimpey to design a flag that would welcome new visitors to the Dargavel Village was an unusual challenge that allowed our children to demonstrate their creativity whilst having fun – with some amazing results.
“There was a real sense of pride when we took some of the children involved along to the development to reveal the winner, and now the flag flies every day which is a lovely connection between our school at Taylor Wimpey’s development at Dargavel Village.”
Audrey Ross, Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey West Scotland said: “We recognise the importance of making sure that we support the communities in which we build our new homes. It has been our pleasure to work with Bishopton Primary School on this project to strengthen and extend our links once again with the local community of Bishopton.
“We have been proudly building new homes across the UK since 1880, and we are still committed to supporting the new communities where we build new homes, just like Dargavel Village where the development is coming to life as a wide range of buyers make their move to call this home.”
Picture caption: Sophie Bandoni, from P7 at Bishopton Primary, pictured with her winning flag design, classmates from school and Taylor Wimpey West Scotland’s sales executive, Kirsten Hepburn at Dargavel Village, Bishopton.
We Get Children at Bishopton Primary Reading With Donation For New Books
We have donated £250 to Bishopton Primary School in Bishopton to celebrate World Book Day, which took place on Thursday 1st March. World Book Day aims to encourage more children to read and Taylor Wimpey’s donation will go towards providing children in Bishopton with many more new books to enjoy.
Lorna Campbell, Literacy Champion at Bishopton Primary School, which is located near to Taylor Wimpey’s Dargavel Village development commented: “I would like to say a big thank you to Taylor Wimpey on behalf of everyone at our school. We really appreciate their donation. Books are a great way to fire up children’s imaginations and to teach them about the world around them, so it’s fantastic to be able to add some new titles to our school.”
Audrey Ross, Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey West Scotland, said: “World Book Day is a great opportunity to celebrate books and reading and, as part of our commitment to giving back to the communities in which we build, it was our pleasure to donate £250 to Bishopton Primary School. We recognise how valuable it is for young children to enjoy reading and hope that the new books will inspire the children and fuel their imaginations.”
We have recently announced the launch of a new children’s book, which aims to educate children about the house building process. ‘How we build your home with Millie Mortar and Handy Andy’ is an informative book with important messages about how to stay safe around construction sites and housing developments. In addition to the donation to Bishopton Primary, we have given the school copies of this new book – enough for every P1-P3 child in school.
Audrey Ross, Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey West Scotland, adds: “We hope that ‘How we build your home with Millie Mortar and Handy Andy’ will become a firm favourite with the children. As well as explaining to them how the new homes in their area are built, the book presents some important health and safety messages about how to stay safe around building sites.”
School pupils capture life now in time capsule challenge for Taylor Wimpey at Dargavel Village, Bishopton
The pupils at Bishopton Primary have been studying their local area both past and present, and when the team at Taylor Wimpey West Scotland heard about this project they challenged the whole school to capture a snapshot of life in 2017 to create a time capsule that will be sealed until 2067.
The time capsule will make a very interesting discovery in 50 years’ time, and it marks Taylor Wimpey West Scotland’s ongoing commitment to the Dargavel Village development in Bishopton.
Working in their classes, the children have created an interesting picture of modern life in Bishopton which is now sealed for future discovery and includes letters to their future self; a selection of coins; and ‘all about me’ banners which tell the recipient about their favourite things to do locally. They’ve also provided the current school menu, a small whiteboard, a calculator, as well as a pen and a pencil with a note asking ‘do you still use these?’
The pupils have fully embraced and enjoyed the project that was set for them by the Taylor Wimpey team as Ruth Burnett, Class Teacher of Bishopton Primary School comments: “This has been a fun project for the whole school to be involved in, and it’s an opportunity for the children to make a little bit of local history in their own town.
“In school we’ve been learning about the local history of Bishopton and comparing what we see now to photographs of many years ago. This project has been a great way for the children to think about the regular items they use in their everyday life and whether children in the future will still use them in 50 years’ time. Knowing they’ve played a part in this significant development in Dargavel Village is very exciting.”
Audrey Ross, Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey West Scotland comments: “A time capsule is a fun way of communicating from the present day to the future, and our project with Bishopton Primary School is a great way for us to capture some memories of what it’s like to be a child growing up in Bishopton now.
“The children have really embraced this project and they’ve provided some great artefacts that will now be sealed until 2067!”
Our Next Phase At Dargavel Village
We are delighted confirm that we have secured detailed planning consent from Renfrewshire Council for a further 176 new homes at Dargavel Village, Bishopton.
The development will deliver a wide mix of three and four bedroom family homes with an impressive range of 11 styles of homes to choose from ensuring this development appeals to a wide range of buyers, and complements our current developments within Dargavel Village, Bishopton.
Stephen Andrew, Technical Director adds: “We are delighted to confirm that detailed planning consent has been granted for our land off Slateford Road within Dargavel Village, Bishopton. This is an opportunity for us to extend our landholding and commitment to the local area, as well as continue to play a key role in creation and delivery of the Dargavel Village master plan, which is already going some way to assist in the regeneration of the local area as buyers take the opportunity to become part of this impressive development.”
Hints and Tips to Provide the Perfect Wildlife Winter Retreat
While homeowners are looking forward to spending a cosy autumn in the warmth of their homes, we’re asking them to spare a thought for the wild creatures facing a cold few months outside.Earlier this year we teamed up with The Wildlife Trusts, giving advice to residents to help them make their gardens nature-friendly during the spring and summer – and we now offering a host of helpful hints and tips to give wildlife a helping hand as winter approaches and the temperature drops. Birds, bats, frogs, hedgehogs and insects all need to find a welcoming winter retreat – and here’s how homeowners can do their bit:
- Be an early bird: You might think the ideal time to put up nest-boxes would be spring, but it’s actually early winter. Blue tits and great tits will begin looking for nest sites in late winter so get your box up early.
- Feeding time: Whether you make your own bird feeder or buy one, feeding garden birds in winter can make a real difference to their survival. In the coldest weather fat balls are a great source of food and providing foods such as sunflower seeds will ensure your garden is popular with greenfinches and chaffinches as well as blue tits, great tits and – if you are lucky – coal and marsh tits. If you put the feeders near a house window you can enjoy bird-watching from the comfort of your home!
- Hedge your bets: Planting trees or hedge plants such as hawthorn, rowan and holly will provide berries for birds in winter as well as places to nest in the spring. Winter is the best time for planting, although you need to choose a day when the ground is not frozen!
- Heaps of help: A log pile or a compost heap is also a good option – hedgehogs love places like this in winter. These structures need to be maintained to make them appealing and safe, but be extra careful when clearing up – you never know if a pile of autumn leaves is hiding something vulnerable. Compost heaps are also good at generating the types of insect that bats like.
- Hotel hideaways: Hibernating animals need somewhere sheltered where they won't be disturbed all winter. Check out the Wildlife Trusts’ activity sheets here www.wildlifewatch.org.uk/activity-sheets. These include advice on making a hibernaculum, an insect hotel, or other hidey holes for wildlife – mostly from household odds and ends!
- Bats love bugs: Grow plants with flowers that are likely to attract moths and other night-flying insects as this will increase the food supply for bats (white or pale coloured flowers are more likely to be seen by nocturnal insects) – and be more tolerant of bugs in general! A few caterpillars will not cause much damage but they will turn into a juicy meal for a bat.
- Give a bat a home: Bat boxes can be purchased from garden centres or made from unplaned wood that has not been treated with wood preservatives. Choose locations (tree trunks or walls of buildings) with a sunny southerly or westerly aspect and avoid placing boxes above doors or windows, or anywhere that the bats might be disturbed by people or pets.
- Peace, man: Be aware of the sorts of places that bats use as shelter – dark places, such as in hollow trees, roof spaces, under tiles and soffits, loose bark on trees, or in splits in the trunks and branches of trees – and do not disturb them!
Taylor Wimpey helps local school children with field-trip to Dargavel Village, Bishopton
Taylor Wimpey welcomed the class of Primary 5 from St John Bosco Primary in Erskine to Dargavel Village, Bishopton as they begin a local study project where they are learning about proposed land use development.
The visit was the perfect start to the children’s project to allow them to see first-hand the transformation that is already underway at the development near Bishopton, whilst also having the opportunity to understand a bit more about the future vision for this significant area of land.
We gave a lesson in safety to Bishopton Primary
During a visit to our development, we gave the local children of primary three at Bishopton Primary School some reminders about health and safety as production of our new homes at the development is now in full swing. We’re always keen to promote the dangers associated with playing near any construction site, and raise awareness of the children’s need to be extra vigilant as work progresses in their local area.
Scottish Planning Minister drops in at Dargavel Village
Derek Mackay MSP (Minister for Local Government and Planning) took the opportunity to visit and see for himself the progress of the construction of new homes at Dargavel Village, Bishopton. During his time as Leader of Renfrewshire Council, Mr Mackay played a key role in the overall development of the Bishopton masterplan. Following an on-site visit to see for himself the transformation that is underway Mr Mackay said: "Seeing firsthand the progress that's being made in the initial phase of new housing at Dargavel Village was a great opportunity to see the commitment and drive from the developers to make the vision for the former Royal Ordnance Factory site in Bishopton become a reality. I'm delighted to hear from Taylor Wimpey that the demand for new homes at Dargavel Village is well ahead of expectations, and that crucially there's a strong interest from a wide range of buyers from both the local market as well as further afield."