A CHARITY supporting families with babies and young children by loaning essential equipment has checked out an £850 donation from Persimmon Homes Teesside.

The volunteer-run Hartlepool Baby Bank has identified an urgent need for more stairgates to loan out to low-income families in the town and surrounding areas and has just been awarded funds from the housebuilder’s Community Champions initiative.

Persimmon Homes’ national match-funding programme Community Champions seeks to support groups and charities working to improve the quality of life for local people.

Each month the Thornaby-based builder donates up to £1,000 to two community groups across the North East region.

This also happens across Persimmon’s other 31 operating areas, meaning up to £64,000 is dished out every single month to charities– a total of £768,000 a year.