Donation provides a COATS of paint
A CROWTHORNE charity has received £1,000 from a housebuilder to support its refurbishment.
Retirement developer McCarthy and Stone donated the money to The COATS Centre, a charity for senior citizens to meet and enjoy each other’s company.
The organisation, based on Pinewood Avenue, was refurbished and updated in 2019 and reopened in November that year.
The money donated will go towards completing the centre’s interior, after it was put on hold during the pandemic.
David Wilson, trustee of COATS, said: “One of the final jobs following reopening was to complete the interior design with pictures and artwork to adorn the walls of our entrance hall and two lounges.
“We barely had the planning on this started when covid struck and we were forced to close our centre.”
Mr Wilson added that when the centre could reopen in May 2021, they decided to focus on the artwork project again.
“With the generous support of McCarthy Stone, we are now able to complete the interior design of our centre,” he said.
“Our staff and visitors have been planning what they would like to see on the walls including bright, floral artwork and heritage photographs of times gone by.”
Mr Wilson is looking forward to showing the result to visitors.
Verity McKay, divisional marketing manager for McCarthy Stone Southern, said it was an “absolute pleasure” to present the donation to COATS.
“Here at McCarthy Stone, we appreciate our responsibilities go further than building highquality retirement apartments — we also seek to create a positive legacy in the communities in which we build,” she said.
“All of us here at McCarthy Stone in Crowthorne wish the centre every success with its ongoing commitment to the senior community.”
For more details, visit: coatscrowthorne.org.uk