Thanks a million – Principality hits fundraising milestone for charitable causes

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Wales’ largest building society has hit a milestone, by raising £1 million for charities in Wales since 2014.

The fundraising has supported seven different charities in Wales in the past seven years, including Mind Cymru, Cancer Research Wales, School of Hard Knocks, MS Society, Llamau and since 2019, the Society’s current charity partners Teenage Cancer Trust Cymru and Alzheimer’s Society Cymru.

Over the years, colleagues across Principality have taken part in a variety of fundraising events, including half marathons, treks, cake sales, bucket collections and step challenges to raise vital funds, with the Society’s members donating across its 53 branches. During the pandemic, fundraising was adapted to become virtual, including zoom spinathons and garden basketball marathons.

Vicky Wales, Chief Customer Officer, Principality Building Society said:

[fwp-blockquote style=”left”]‘’We’re absolutely delighted to have reached £1 million in fundraising for charities in Wales. As a member-owned organisation our purpose is to support the communities we live and work in. This fundraising milestone is testament to the dedication and passion of our colleagues taking on fundraising challenges and events throughout the years, as well as our members who have generously donated in their local branches.

“We recognise that the past year has been very difficult for the charity sector and we are committed to supporting our charity partners as much as possible. Each charity partner has had a real impact on the lives of people living in Wales and we couldn’t be prouder to have worked with them. Thanks a million to our members, colleagues and charity partners for making this milestone possible.’’[/fwp-blockquote]

Principality’s partnership with Teenage Cancer Trust will enable the recruitment of two specialist cancer outreach nurses. They will provide support to young people with cancer in their local community, ensuring that all young people affected by cancer have access to specialist care.

Stacey Hawdon, Senior Relationship Manager, Teenage Cancer Trust said:

[fwp-blockquote style=”left”]“The funds raised by Principality’s colleagues and customers will change so many lives.

“It means that in the future, every young person with cancer in Wales, wherever they live, will be able to access age-appropriate nursing support to help them through the huge challenges they face.

“On behalf of nurses across Wales and the rest of the UK I’d like to say a huge thank you to Principality and its members and customers.”[/fwp-blockquote]

Fundraising for Alzheimer’s Society Cymru is supporting the charity’s Dementia Connect service, a telephone service which provides support, care and guidance to people living with dementia, their families and carers. Over 450 colleagues in Principality have also taken part in Dementia Friends awareness sessions, run by Alzheimer’s Society. Dementia Friends is the UK’s largest education initiative to transform how people, act, think and talk about dementia.

Jess Bowring, Community Fundraiser, Alzheimer’s Society said:

[fwp-blockquote style=”left”]“It’s been a real joy to work in partnership with Principality over the last two and a half years.  During this time their staff have thrown themselves into fundraising with enthusiasm – taking part in bake sales, treks and challenges – and so far, along with the support of members, raising an incredible £168,000 for Alzheimer’s Society.  All the money raised by Principality is ensuring vital information, advice and support is accessible to those affected by dementia.

‘’On top of this, Principality have committed to becoming a more dementia friendly organisation by rolling out Dementia Friends information sessions to staff, promoting our volunteering service ‘Companion Calls’ and, more recently, setting up their branch colleagues to become referrers for our Dementia Connect service for customers who need extra support.

‘’Principality’s colleagues have shown a real commitment to helping those in their local communities and it has been a privilege to work with them.”[/fwp-blockquote]

To find out more, visit www.principality.co.uk/raising1million

Riverside Park Update March 2021

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We’re pleased to report that the Riverside Park is getting closer to completion and is on track for an April opening date which will hopefully coincide with some great weather with which to enjoy it!

We’ll confirm the exact date when we have it but for now here are some photos of the park in its current state showing the wooden Trim Trail equipment and the finished walkway and access routes. As we move into Spring and the space gets greener we think it’s going to look even better and will be a great area for residents to explore and enjoy.

Riverside Park Update

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Many of you will have seen the Mill’s Riverside Park starting to take shape and will be keen to use it once it’s open. We’re pleased to confirm that progress on the park is moving along well and it will be open to the public in part from March 1st once some further planting has been completed. We’ve taken some photos on a rare sunny day to show how it’s looking at the moment.

We’ll shortly be sharing a CGI render which will give a clearer view of how the park will look and we’ll be keeping you updated as it reaches completion!

A resident at The Mill raises over £2,000 for local charity over Christmas

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A resident living at The Mill in Canton, Cardiff has helped to raise over £2,000 for Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital Charity.

Based in Wales, the Noah’s Ark charity works with the NHS to provide the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, helping it become one of the best children’s hospitals worldwide.

Alicia, 30, worked hard to raise funds for Noah’s Ark, which she selected due to families ties with the charity.

During the Christmas period, Alicia hosted a virtual prize draw on Facebook which raised £1,500 alone.

Alicia also sold charity merchandise and requested donations from the public and other residents at The Mill in order to raise money for the children’s charity. Lovell, Cadwyn Housing Association, Tirion Homes and Principality Building Society all donated to the cause, and the school that Alicia’s children attend also donated £150.

Alongside raising money, Alicia collected gifts for the hospital itself. People across Cardiff donated essential items, like baby monitors, as well as toys which could be used on the ward, providing patients with a Christmas gift.

A selection of the toys the local community donated for the Children’s wards.
[fwp-blockquote style=”left”]“I’m so proud to have been able to raise over £2,000 for Noah’s Ark; after such a difficult year for everyone including the charity and the loss of many fundraising events, it’s an incredible amount to be able to donate.

I’d like to thank everyone who supported me, all of the wonderful businesses who offered prizes, my family and also the surrounding community. As a family we’ve received wonderful care from the children’s hospital and benefited from the facilities that the charity provides, we’re delighted to be able to offer them support in return for all they’ve done for us and many other families across Wales.

I had hoped to arrange an event for residents, in which Santa and his reindeer would come to visit, but due to the lockdown in Wales this is something we’re looking to plan for this Christmas instead.”

–Alicia.

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Alicia's daughter Elsie helped her pick the winners.
[fwp-blockquote style=”left”]“We’re so grateful to Alicia and her family for coordinating such successful fundraising. She’s worked so hard to bring the community, local school and businesses together, for the benefit of children and families at the hospital. As with most charities, 2020 has been a very tough year and we are more grateful than ever for Alicia’s support. We hope that this relationship continues for many years to come.”

-Kath Fisher, Community Fundraising Manager at the Noah’s Ark Charity.

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Alicia's eldest daughter helped raise funds with her school and another family that were also supporting Noah’s ark.
[fwp-blockquote style=”left”]“We’re thrilled to have donated to Noah’s Ark through Alicia’s fundraising. Alicia put in so much hard work to raise significant funds and I applaud her for all she has achieved. There is a real sense of community at The Mill and we’re delighted that residents were able to come together to donate to such a wonderful cause”

-James Duffett, regional managing director at Lovell.

[/fwp-blockquote][fwp-blockquote style=”left”]“We are delighted to have supported Alicia and donated to such a worthy cause as Noah’s Ark. Alicia worked tirelessly to organise and run things and despite the pandemic affecting her plans at the last minute for the Christmas event, Alicia has still been able to raise over £2000 and book the event for next Christmas as something to look forward to for all the residents.”

-Mark Howells, Head of Housing Programs at Cadwyn Housing Association.

[/fwp-blockquote][fwp-blockquote style=”left”]“We are delighted to have contributed towards this very worthwhile Charity. Special thanks go out to Alicia and her family who have been instrumental in encouraging residents to virtually participate in raising funds through the festive period and help raise this huge amount of money.”

-David Ward, CEO at Tirion Homes.

[/fwp-blockquote][fwp-blockquote style=”left”]“’The fundraising efforts from Alicia and the residents at the Mill show the real community spirit there. The virtual prize draw was a great way for the residents to virtually come together and raise money for the incredible charity Noah’s Ark. We look forward to supporting the Christmas fundraising event this year.”

-Andrew Gay, Senior Branch Manager – Canton, Principality Building Society.

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The Mill is creating a new community in Cardiff by bringing 800 homes to the former Arjo Wiggins paper mill site. They include 358 homes for open market sale by Lovell and 442 homes for rent – which will be managed by Cadwyn Housing Association – for Tirion Homes. The scheme is going ahead with the support of the Welsh Government and financial backing from the Principality Building Society, and is being developed by Tirion Homes in partnership with Lovell.

For further information on the homes available at The Mill, visit www.mill-canton.co.uk or call the sales team on 02920 601 598, or contact Tina Wilson at Tirion Homes on 07392 086726 or tina.wilson@tirionhomes.co.uk / www.tirionhomes.co.uk.

For more information on Noah’s Ark, visit https://noahsarkcharity.org/.

You can also like Lovell on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lovellhomes and follow Lovell on Instagram at @lovell_homes, and on LinkedIn @LovellPartnershipsLtd.

Veterans housed in time for Christmas

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The Mill development in Canton, Cardiff, has welcomed two further veteran families after they were housed in affordable housing. A total of eight veterans have been housed over the last 18 months, in a partnership between Cadwyn Housing Association and the Welsh Veterans Partnership, despite the ongoing pandemic. 

Pictured above, Left to Right Mark Howells (Cadwyn) Darren Pole (Chair, WVP) Dave Price (Co-ordinator, WVP)

The Mill development has successfully transformed the former paper mill into a thriving and sustainable residential community and will provide 800 homes across the 53-acre site. The Mill is a partnership between Cadwyn Housing Association, Tirion Homes, Lovell Homes and Principality Building Society and has already provided 180 affordable homes for rent in Cardiff to help tackle the housing crisis.

[fwp-blockquote style=”left”]“We are thrilled to be able to make a difference in providing much needed additional, affordable homes to people in need across Cardiff. Our work with the Welsh Veterans Partnership demonstrates our commitment to ensuring veterans are given every opportunity to realise their potential once they leave the armed forces. It is fantastic to see them enjoying their new homes.”  

“We cannot wait to see what the future holds for The Mill with the next phase of building affordable homes already underway.”  

–Mark Howells, Head of Operations at Cadwyn Housing Association.

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A tenant accepting the keys to his new property at The Mill

180th Home at the Mill – Vanessa’s story

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The Mill Living team are delighted to mark the milestone of the 180th property handover as the site and community continues to grow at The Mill. We’re so pleased to have created sustainable homes for so many families in partnership with Lovell and Tirion and have had great feedback from residents on the properties and life at The Mill, even throughout the tumultuous year that has been 2020.

Vanessa has been a Tenant at the Mill since the very first handovers in 2018 and after having a second child, has moved from a Phase A property to a larger Phase B property as her family has grown. She was keen to keep living at the Mill if she could, as she really feels like part of the community – here’s her story:

“We were one of the first families to move onto The Mill back in September 2018 when our son was just four months old. We really loved the house and have made some lovely friends, but we’re beginning to feel like we were outgrowing the space following the birth of our second child earlier on this year, so we jumped at the chance to move within the development.

The Mill has always had a real community feel about it but none more so than during lockdown with everyone looking out and supporting each other, so we were keen to stay here if we could, so this move was the perfect solution for us. We’ve been in our new house a little over a month now and it already feels like home.

We’re looking forward to many happy years ahead here as a family”

The Mill Celebrates Completion of first phase by Welcoming Its 100th Tenant

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The 100th tenant has moved into The Mill development in Cardiff and the first phase of affordable, desirable homes is complete.

The £100 million urban village, recently awarded Residential Development of the Year at the Insider Property Awards, is one of Wales’ biggest regeneration schemes.

The Mill is a partnership between Cadwyn, Tirion and Lovell, with support from the Principality Building Society and Welsh Government, and will provide 800 homes on the site of the old Arjo Wiggins papermill building in Canton.

It will create a vibrant and sustainable new community with 442 homes available for rent for not-for-profit housing company Tirion through Cadwyn and the rest on the open market through Lovell.

The long-term vision of creating an affordable, high quality neighbourhood is now a reality for the new residents with community facilities, a riverside park and local shop being developed as part of the scheme.

The first phase is now finished and its 100th tenant Hannah Stanton says she is delighted to be living in the desirable riverside location.

[fwp-blockquote style=”left”]“I moved to The Mill because of its fantastic location. It’s so close to my daughter’s school and within easy links of Canton and beyond. I love living here and it already feels like a village where everybody knows and looks out for each other.

“My daughter has already made friends in the street and is able to play out safely. It has a great community feel living here.”[/fwp-blockquote]

Phase B of the high-quality rented homes started construction earlier this year with a mix of two-bed and three-bed houses, which will be available for rent in October 2019. The whole scheme at The Mill in expected to take around five years to build and it is hoped that completion will be in 2022.

Mark Howells, Cadwyn Project Manager said: “We are delighted to be managing the rented homes at The Mill and have been overwhelmed with the demand of people wanting to live here. It’s a great place to live and we are looking forward to the next handover of units in the autumn and finalising a true build programme for the rest of the development.”

Ian Bailey, Head of Housing at Principality said: “Principality is delighted to be involved in the regeneration of one of the largest brownfield sites in Cardiff into what is quickly becoming a vibrant community with high quality homes available at affordable rentals. We are thrilled with the level of demand from tenants which has already resulted in full occupation of the first phase of over 100 homes and now look forward to supporting the second phase which will deliver a further 78 much needed homes to market”.

Peter Mathias, Chair at Tirion Group said: “This is a significant milestone in Tirion’s mission of providing a wide range of affordable rented accommodation throughout south wales.  Whilst we have commenced the next phases at The Mill, we hope shortly to announce the start of further projects in the region.”

Interested in renting at The Mill?

visit the dedicated rentals website for more information

Mill Rental Website

An introduction from Principality Building Society

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Principality Building Society collaborated with Tirion Homes and Welsh Government, along with developers Lovell and Cadwyn to bring sought after affordable housing to the west of Cardiff that we now call The Mill. Principality share the same values as Tirion, Lovell and Cadwyn, with a purpose of helping people prosper in their homes.

Principality Building Society is a Welsh Mutual Building Society that has been committed to High streets across Wales and the borders for over 150 Years, helping Members with their savings, mortgages and insurance needs.

Our local Canton Branch has been part of the community for over 40 years helping existing and new Members with their savings, mortgage and insurance needs as well as participating in local community initiatives. “It’s really important to me and my team here at the Principality Canton branch to provide support and guidance to our local Members, we would like to welcome the new residents of The Mill development to the area and invite them to come and speak to us anytime if they would like to know more about our Principality products or just to come in and say hello” Andrew Gay, Branch Manager at Principality Canton branch.

By becoming a Principality Member you can sign up to our Member Rewards benefits, it’s our way of saying thank you. You could enjoy exclusive benefits including priority ticket access to selected events at the Principality Stadium (like the 6 nations championship), 15% discount at the WRU online shop, exclusive competitions and automatic entry into all of our unmissable prize draws. T&Cs Apply.

For more information on our savings and mortgage products or Member Rewards T&Cs please visit www.principality.co.uk or call into your local Canton branch today

All change! Partnership delivers major changing room revamp for Cardiff rugby club

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A Cardiff rugby club has unveiled a major revamp of its Jubilee Park junior section changing room facilities carried out by city housing developer Lovell.

 

Canton Rugby Football Club officials joined Cardiff councillors and representatives from Lovell at an opening ceremony to celebrate the completion of the extensive renovation programme which has created a brand-new base for the club’s mini and youth teams.

 

The improvements have totally transformed the building, including installation of a new kitchen, shower room and boilers as well as new lighting and a new roof. In addition, the Lovell team  created a new kit room, replaced all ceilings, refurbished toilet facilities and redecorated the interior in the club colours of yellow, burgundy and black.

 

All work was carried out for free by Lovell, who also donated the materials used, with the company’s total contribution in the region of £20,000. The company carried out the project with the generous support of a large team of its subcontractor partners while hard-working volunteers from the club painted the exterior of the building.

 

The refurbishment has enabled the club to complete its much-needed upgrading programme for the Jubilee Park facilities. The programme won backing from Cardiff Council, who agreed a community asset transfer of the Jubilee Park base into community ownership, with the club also securing funding from builders merchants Jewsons towards the refurbishment work.

 

The Lovell team – who are working very nearby in Canton delivering award-winning new housing development The Mill in partnership with Tirion Homes and Cadwyn Housing Association – helped the club complete the transformation through the company’s community legacy programme.

 

Club vice-chair Ivor Rodway, who has led the club’s drive to transform the Jubilee Park facilities, is delighted with the new-look changing rooms:  “On behalf of everyone at Canton RFC and especially the mini and youth sections, I would like to thank everyone at Lovell, Jewsons, the subcontractors and Cardiff Council for their help, it will make such a difference to all the youngsters who will be using the refurbished facilities.”

 

The previously dilapidated Jubilee Park building, which had no hot water and a leaking roof, now houses smart, modern dressing rooms and other facilities for the club’s young players.

 

Lovell regional managing director Kate Rees says: “This has been an inspiring project to work on and it’s great to see it come to fruition. From our involvement in Canton, where we began work at The Mill, it was clear that the rugby club is pivotal to the local community and particularly the area’s young people, giving them the chance to play regular sport, improve their fitness and get the fantastic life experience that comes from playing in a team.

 

“When we found out how the Jubilee Park building refurbishment would benefit the club’s youth teams and enable the club to secure its future, we felt it would be the ideal legacy project for us to create in Canton. The new facilities are amazing; we hope the boys and girls enjoy using them and wish them every success in future matches.”

 

David Ward, chief executive of Tirion Homes, says: “We are delighted to help facilitate this improvement to facilities for the wider community.  We are committed to maximising local benefits in our developments wherever possible through social and economic projects. The new facilities will ensure that rugby will continue to play an important part in the lives of many people of all ages in Canton.”

 

Chris O’Meara, chief executive of Cadwyn Housing Association, says: “It’s great that local residents get better recreation facilities as a result of the investment at The Mill. Doing something for the whole community will help those living there become part of it.”

 

One of Wales’ largest regeneration programmes, The Mill is being delivered by a partnership of Lovell, Tirion Homes and Cadwyn Housing Association. The riverside site was acquired and remediated by Tirion with support from the Welsh Government and financial backing from the Principality Building Society. Overall, it will create 358 homes for open market sale through Lovell and 442 homes to rent for Tirion which will be managed by Cadwyn.

Autumn Update

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It’s been a busy few months at The Mill!

 

In September the first of the homes to rent were completed. We welcomed Rebecca Evans AM to our official handover event to see the new homes and meet residents.  Despite the challenging weather conditions,  it was lovely to welcome lots of guests to hear about the progress of the development so far, and to find out more about the future vision for The Mill. It was also great to walk down the boulevard from the site offices and to see the evolution of the homes along the way – from the foundations, to the finished product.

 

Construction continues at a fast pace and from the time of our last update to the new year, over 100 new homes will have been made at The Mill.

 

But it doesn’t stop there! We’re excited that design meetings for the riverside area are underway. They’re still in the early stages but we will soon be inviting Mill residents to become more involved in the design process.  We’ll post any consultations or events on our Mill Living Facebook pages and residents’ group so be sure to join those, if you’ve not already done so.  The group aims to keep residents in the loop with development progress as well as a place to share useful info about the local community – so if you’ve found a great café, group, activity or service, let your neighbours know about it!

 

With a busy lead-up to Christmas in sales and rentals we’ll be looking to arrange a Meet the Neighbours in the New Year to say hello to everyone and see what’s in store for 2019. Exciting times ahead!

 

See you soon,

 

The Mill Living Team