A FAMILY fun day for people with autism in Barry has been given a huge boost thanks to a donation from a leading house builder.

Persimmon Homes East Wales has given £900 to the Cardiff and Vale branch of the National Autistic Society towards the group’s fun day at Palmerston Adult Centre on September 5.

The donation is part of Persimmon’s Community Champions project, which will see a pot of £24,000 being given to local groups and charities over 12 months.

Tracy Lewis, of Cardiff and Vale National Autistic Society Branch, said: “This is brilliant news. We had been struggling for funding for our fun day, so this generous donation from Persimmon Homes East Wales is a huge boost.

“This will be a fun day for parents and carers affected daily from living with a child or adult on the autistic spectrum.

“Life can be very difficult at times for families dealing with autism. This will be a day of happiness for the whole family to enjoy with bouncy castles, stalls and shows.”

Victoria Williams, Head of Sales at Persimmon Homes East Wales, said the Community Champions initiative was a way of supporting people across every city, town and village where the company works.

She said: “We’re delighted to be able to hand over this money to the Cardiff and Vale National Autistic Society Branch to help towards their fun day.

“I’m sure it will be a great day for families in Barry who are affected by autism.

“We have already donated almost £8,000 to groups and charities in the area through the Community Champions initiative - and there’s plenty more to come.

"We’ve made it really simple to apply for funding, and we’re urging groups and charities to apply for next month’s donation by completing an online form at www.persimmonhomes.com/charity.”

The Persimmon Community Champions initiative is a national programme where charities and groups can apply for funding up to the value of £1,000 to match money they have already raised themselves. Nationwide the company will donate a total of £750,000.

Persimmon Homes has developments located across East Wales and Gloucestershire, including Westhaven in Barry, where there is a selection of two, three and four bedroom homes available with prices starting at £175,000.