A DIDCOT developer helped raise £200,000 for the charity of the year.

McCarthy and Stone, which has a retirement development on Greenwood Way has helped raise money for the reading charity, Coram Beanstalk.

In 2019, McCarthy and Stone chose Coram Beanstalk as its charity partner to help improve the outcomes of children who struggle with reading.

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The developer originally set itself the target of raising £100,000 and it managed to raise double that figure.

The charity Coram Beanstalk, recruits and trains volunteers to provide one-to-one support to children aged three to 13 years who have fallen behind with their reading levels and confidence.

One in four children across the UK leave primary school without the skills to read, while more than five million adults are functionally illiterate.

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John Tonkiss, McCarthy and Stone’s CEO said: “We are extremely grateful for the support shown by the team in Didcot who made a great contribution to the overall fundraising total.

“With people dropping-in to its development to take part in various activities, including coffee mornings, as well as sponsoring members of the McCarthy and Stone team who have entered into marathons and half-marathons. Suppliers and contractors also backed the regional team’s fundraising efforts, with financial donations and their participation.”