A CHARITY that has helped homeless people in Taunton for 45 years has received £1,000 from a housebuilder.

David Wilson Homes, which is constructing properties at Nerrols Grange and Moorland Gate, has made the donation to Arc, previously known as Taunton Association for the Homeless.

The company has also set up donation points for food and clothing for Arc in both developments' sales centres.

Arc has 16 properties with accommodation for 176 people, as well as running an outreach team to support rough sleepers, drop-in centres offering food, showers, clothes and laundry facilities, and providing courses through the Arc Academy to help homeless people with their recovery, mental health, skills, employment and education.

Its mission is to to empower homeless people to become independent.

Louise Ware, sales director at David Wilson Homes South West said the donation comes from Barratt and David Wilson Homes' Local Community Fund which donates £3,000 every month to community causes and initiatives across region.

She added: "Arc provides a vital lifeline to some of the people in greatest need in Taunton and Somerset.

"We believe passionately in supporting people and communities where we are building much-needed new homes, so we're pleased to be able to make this contribution to Arc to help continue its important work.

"Through our donation points at Nerrols Grange and Moorland Gate, we hope to raise awareness of the fantastic work the charity does as well as collecting food and clothing to help homeless and vulnerable people in and around Taunton."

Justin Roxburgh, chief executive officer at Arc said: "As we return to a more normal existence after the pandemic, it is easy to forget that the coronavirus pandemic hit some of the poorest people in our communities hardest and they are still experiencing extreme on-going hardship.

"At present, one in six people in the UK will spend at least one night homeless, but we know that given the right support even the most vulnerable can recover from the issues that caused their situation.

"A big thank you to David Wilson Homes for this contribution and the ongoing support of their donation points that will help us continue to provide this essential service to those in crisis."