New Partnership Uses Wood for Good
Regional housebuilder Deanfield Homes has entered into a strategic partnership with social enterprise RAW to deliver sustainable site recycling services and to transform wood waste from its sites into furniture and products for local communities.
The project will see waste wood from all Deanfield developments collected by RAW’s site recycling service and taken to its Oxford-based workshop to be turned into high-quality items such as benches, planters and bird boxes which will be donated to local schools, community groups and Deanfield’s own homeowners.
RAW helps businesses to create life-changing social and environment impact through its waste wood recycling service and by making high quality, sustainable furniture. It also provides employment, skills and training, with 75% of its workforce having fought, and won, against issues such as addiction, criminality, poor mental health and homelessness. Income from product and service sales also supports RAW’s specialist youth team, which helps to change the lives of 12-18 year-olds across Oxfordshire.
Peter Blades, Deanfield Homes’ founder and managing director, comments: “We’re delighted to be formalising our partnership with RAW. Not only are we committing to using its recycling services on all current and future Deanfield sites, but we will also support a circular economy by turning our waste wood into sustainable products. As a growing business we are focused on both our environmental impact and the positive contribution we can make to the local communities that we create and in which we build. This project with RAW ticks both of those boxes.”
Rick Mower, managing director of RAW, says: “We empower our clients and customers to confidently make procurement and purchasing choices that drive quantitative social and environmental value, without compromising on price or quality. Consumers and markets are more ready than ever for organisations who can truly demonstrate that they drive real social value through their brands and services. The leadership and vision from the team at Deanfield Homes has been brilliant in bringing this partnership together. We’re massively looking forward to working with them and making our partnership a UK exemplar of what can be achieved when organisations unite to create change.”
Deanfield Homes builds high-quality properties in aspirational villages. Current developments include Deanfield Park in the village of Ickford in Buckinghamshire, Deanfield Green in East Hagbourne and Deanfields in Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire. It also has forthcoming sites in Bledlow and Little Kimble in Buckinghamshire and Hermitage in Berkshire.