The Oxfordshire term maintenance contract, which is delivering a five-year plus extensions, contract for Oxfordshire County Council, carries out planned and responsive maintenance to street lighting and illuminated equipment, and is upgrading much of its existing lighting with LEDs. During the 15 months the contract has been operational, the contract has collected and recycled all its scrap material, with funds donated to Helen & Douglas House and Sobell House.

Helen & Douglas House helps families cope with the challenges of looking after a terminally ill baby or child who will die prematurely. It is a hospice which is filled with laughter, whilst also being a peaceful place where families can create happy memories in their last days, weeks, months or years together.

Sobell House is a hospice which is jointly funded by the NHS and Sobell House Hospice Charity. They offer specialist palliative care to those facing life threatening illness, death and bereavement in Oxfordshire. They support around 3,000 patients each year, which includes physical, psychological, social and spiritual care and the support of their families and those close to them.

John Dovey, project manager for VolkerHighways, said: “Working so closely to those living in Oxfordshire, we feel we are part of the community and want to show our support. These donations are just the beginning of our partnership with these two charities, and we look forward to supporting them with other initiatives, moving forward.”

Nikki Gracey, relationships funding manager for Sobell House, said: “Thank you so much for your wonderful donation that we have received today. We are truly grateful for your support of Sobell House. Your gift will make a huge difference to the people that we care for at the hospice.”

Andrea Baganz-Pritchard, community fundraising manager for Helen & Douglas Hospice, said: “Thank you so very much, this is an incredible amount of money and will make such a difference to our children and families we look after.”