The company has donated £1,000 to Craigmillar Literacy Trust and £3,300 to SHSS.

The funding for Craigmillar Literacy Trust will be used to improve literacy skills in the Craigmillar area of Edinburgh. As well as £1,000 that will go towards supporting the Trust’s Stories for Sharing programme which provides fun, creative literacy sessions and book gifting for families with children aged 4-12, the team from Taylor Wimpey has also made a donation of 100 copies each of Taylor Wimpey’s books for children– their ‘How we build your home’ reading book and ‘Ecotastic’ – an activity book.

The £1,000 funding will also support the Trust’s new Express Yourself programme for young people aged 12 to 16.

The money for SHSS was raised partly by staff at Taylor Wimpey East Scotland’s Christmas 2021 celebrations and then matched by the company to be donated to this charity that is very close to the hearts of many in the business.

Chest Heart and Stroke is Scotland’s largest charity supporting people and their families across Scotland with chest, heart and stroke conditions. As well as striving to make sure life living with a chest or heart condition or after a stroke is a life lived to the full, the charity fights for better health for everyone and works to make sure there is help and support in every community.

Katie Swann, literacy programme coordinator for Craigmillar Literacy Trust, said: “We are a charity aiming to empower people through literacy skills and we have worked with over 2,000 children, young people and families through our literacy programmes in Craigmillar.

“We are extremely grateful for the support that we have received from Taylor Wimpey, and we can’t thank them enough for their generous donation of £1,000 and 200 books. We are also delighted to confirm that Taylor Wimpey East Scotland’s financial donation will be match-funded by Baillie Gifford, an Edinburgh-based investment company who are long-term supporters of our project.”

Kirsty McGill, sales and marketing director for Taylor Wimpey East Scotland, added: “We are delighted to be able to support Craigmillar Literacy Trust with both funding and books to boost their literacy programmes delivered across the Craigmillar area. Being able to work with local businesses and organisations that surround our developments means a great deal to us and it’s great to know that we are helping to make a difference within the local communities where we build.”

Lawrence Cowan, director of communications and fundraising at CHSS, commented: “I am thrilled to have received a cheque for £3,300 from Taylor Wimpey. I’d like to offer a huge thank you to your incredibly generous staff, we are delighted to accept this donation.

“It is an amazing amount of money, and it means that as a charity we can help people living with a chest or heart condition, or the effects of stroke or long covid this winter. People are leaving hospital often scared and alone and this donation means that you will be helping people to receive the help and support that they need when they need it most. You are helping people in your community to do more than survive, you are helping them to really live.”

Gavin Hamilton, managing director for Taylor Wimpey East Scotland, said: “Through our network of developments, we have been part of the local communities across the east of Scotland for many years. On behalf of our whole team, we are very proud to make this donation to Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland.

“This is a charity that is very important within our business and our staff wanted to show their appreciation of the fabulous work they do by making personal donations as part of our Christmas celebrations.

“Being able to support local groups and charities is important to us - even more so in these unprecedented times – and we know this financial boost will work hard to deliver the support this incredible charity offers people throughout Scotland.”