The Times and The Sunday Times have donated £15,000 to Old Ben Homes – a charity providing sheltered housing for people who have worked in the distribution of newspapers and magazines in the UK, and their immediate dependants.
The donation will go towards refurbishing bungalows for the residents of the Seaford housing development in East Sussex, all of which spent their careers working in the news trade in retail, wholesale or the circulation of newspapers.
In 1957 The Times provided the build cost of one of the bungalows on the Seaford site. The £15,000 donation will pay for a full refurbishment of the same bungalow.
Graham McDougall, The Times and The Sunday Times Head of Casual Sales, presented the cheque to David Blundell, Chairman of Old Ben Homes at Old Ben’s AGM in Farringdon.
Graham said: “The Times and The Sunday Times are proud to support Old Ben Homes and its residents, who have played a key role in the newspaper industry throughout their careers. We would also like to thank the retailers who continue to sell our products, promote our subscriptions and keep customers engaged in the news category, as we enter what promises to be a busy time for the news industry.”
David Blundell said: “The Trustees are grateful to The Times for their rapid response to our Seaford refurbishment appeal. With the help of sponsors such as The Times, we have been able to refurbish 20 of our 40 bungalows at Seaford which will ensure that we continue to provide quality accommodation for those in need from the news trade.”
Seaford Housing Manager, Angela Farrant said: “The residents at Seaford are extremely happy with their newly refurbished properties” and the resident of the ‘Times bungalow’ added: “I love my new bungalow; it is now bright, warm and my modern kitchen is a treat to cook in. This has made such a difference to my quality of living and I thank you all for making my life wonderful.”
