A Warwickshire military charity has secured a new 20-year lease on its headquarters in Nuneaton that will continue to be a safe and open space for veterans in the region.

Veterans Contact Point supports people who have served in any of the UK Armed Forces and live in the Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire area.

The charity has agreed a new long-term lease on its headquarters on Bentley Road in Nuneaton with Warwickshire County Council, through its managing agent Warwickshire Property Management Ltd (WPM).

The military charity, which is supported by 12 volunteers and employs three former veterans in full-time positions, was granted a new lease, with continued support from the County Council for the much-needed charity.

This will enable the charity to focus on investing in its services and support for the 250-plus veterans it supports directly and indirectly annually.

Veterans Contact Point formed in 2009 as a volunteer support group and became a military charity in 2012. It was one of the first community charities of its type and now has branches in Nuneaton, Atherstone, Dordon and Warwick.

Its headquarters has been at The Horsa Building on Bentley Road since 2013 and will remain there until at least 2042.

The charity receives no core government funding and relies on public donations, project funding and grant funding.

Len Hardy, CEO of Veterans Contact Point and one of its founders, spent 25 years in the armed forces.

He said: “From our headquarters in Nuneaton we provide one-to-one support, delivered by people who have been in similar situations. We never turn anybody away. The price of a cup of tea might save a life, it’s as simple as that.

“Being supported by the County Council is hugely important for us. Once we cover our running costs, the rest of our funding and donations can go directly to supporting the armed forces community.

“This allows us to plan better interventions, increase our involvement in the local community and it gives us the security to plan for the future.”

Jeff Worthington left the army in 1997 and came to Veterans Contact Point looking for help in 2020. He has now worked for the charity for more than four years helping other veterans in need.

“We have a lot of veterans walking through the doors looking for help who have nowhere else to go, and without this building we wouldn’t be able to give them that opportunity,” he said.

“There is a great emphasis here on being approachable and easy to access. Whether you visit our centre or give us a ring, you will be speaking to someone who has been in similar circumstance themselves.”

WPM is part of Warwickshire Property & Development Group (WPDG), which manages the Warwickshire County Council leased portfolio.

Chris John, Assistant Development Manager at WPDG, said: “Veterans Contact Point provides vital and personal support to those who have served our country when they need it the most.

“It has been fantastic to be involved in securing their long-term home, which will enable them to focus on continuing to deliver their invaluable services for people in Nuneaton and throughout Warwickshire.”

Cllr Stephen Shaw, Warwickshire County Council Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Finance and Property said: “Securing this long-term lease supports Veterans Contact Point to continue its brilliant work, providing stability and security for the future.

“As a partner in the Armed Forces Community Covenant we recognise the sacrifices and obligations made by the Armed Forces and their families and we support efforts to reduce or remove any disadvantages they may face in serving their country.”

To find out more about Veterans Contact Point visit www.veteranscontactpoint.org.uk

Stuart Buckley has been recognised as Property Personality of the Year at the Insider Midlands Residential Property Awards 2025.

Stuart is Managing Director of Warwickshire Property & Development Group (WPDG) and has been a driving force behind the group since it was formed in 2021.

He received the award as part of the Midlands Residential Property Awards ceremony Edgbaston Stadium, an evening that celebrates the talent, professionalism and hard work of the region’s residential property sector.

Stuart was recognised for his role in projects across the West Midlands over the course of his 25-year career in the property sector.

He led projects at Advantage West Midlands, the regional development agency for the region before joining what was to become Homes England in 2011.

The award ceremony highlighted notable achievements from that period including the acquisition of key sites in Digbeth, Whitley Pumping Station in Coventry, Lighthorne in Warwickshire and securing a development partner for the former James Bridge Copper Works in Walsall.

Stuart joined WPDG as founding Managing Director after 10 years at Homes England and has helped to build the group to become one of the most active developers in Warwickshire, driving value for Warwickshire County Council through the delivery of commercial and residential developments.

WPDG now has a pipeline of more than 2,500 housing plots, 250,000 sq ft of small industrial and commercial units and is set to unlock hundreds of further homes over the next year.

Stuart said: “I am quite shocked! It was a massive surprise and I’m very proud to have won this award.

“I would like to say a big thank you to all the people I have worked with over the last 25 years.

“We have a brilliant community here in the Midlands property sector, this is a sector all about people and I’ve had the opportunity to work with a multitude of partners to deliver truly great schemes including at the Cricket Ground itself working with the Club and Patrizia on the 375-unit BTR scheme and associated public piazza and parking

“I would also like to mention colleagues at Advantage West Midlands, Homes England and especially the team at Warwickshire Property & Development Group whom it has been a joy to work with over the last three years together with the fantastic support of our shareholder.

“I’m very excited about what we will be able to achieve in the years to come as we continue to deliver excellent residential and commercial schemes across Warwickshire.”

A former children’s farm in North Warwickshire is set for a new lease of life as a destination for dogs and their owners.

Broomey Croft Farm in Kingsbury will be transformed into a canine centre providing a new dog-friendly haven in the area.

It will feature dog exercising paddocks, walking routes, a farm shop selling local produce and will also be home to dog training business K9 Solutions.

The new canine centre will be run by Jarryd Bassett and Nathaniel Lewis after they signed a 10-year letting agreement for the land with Warwickshire County Council, through its managing agent Warwickshire Property Management Ltd (WPM).

Nathaniel owns and runs K9 Solutions and the dog training business is already operating from the farm, while work gets underway to create the new canine centre.

Jarryd and Nathaniel will also continue to operate the land as a working farm and have previous experience of managing smallholdings.

The pair are in the process of renovating the farmhouse on the site and will then set about work that will prepare the farm for visits from members of the public.

Plans include building turning paddocks in the fields for dog exercising, which will benefit dogs that get stressed on walks and who struggle with walking anxiety.

 

The new coffee and farm shops are anticipated to be welcoming their first customers by the end of the summer.

The coffee shop will include a space available for local community groups to hire and the shop will sell produce from Broomey Croft Farm and other farms in the local area.

Jarryd said: “Our goal when everything is up and running is to have a space for all of the local community to visit, with a focus on providing a safe and dog-friendly environment.

“We have lots of exciting plans in the works, including weekend fayres for local businesses and creators, and days where we encourage dog owners with specific breeds to visit us.

“We are working hard to get the farm in a position to open it back up to the public, after previously being a popular children’s farm, and we hope to be able to welcome our first visitors in the summer.”

Nathaniel added: “The coffee shop will be the first part that we open on the site, but we are already running the dog training business from the farm.

“It’s a brilliant space with a lot of potential. It’s a great location with good transport connections, meaning we are easy to reach whether bringing your dog to a training session, visiting for a cup of coffee in a relaxing setting or enjoying a walk around the site.

“This will be a business and attraction rooted in the local community.”

WPM is part of Warwickshire Property & Development Group (WPDG), which manages lettings on hundreds of Warwickshire County Council-owned properties.

Mandeep Padan, Asset Manager at WPDG, said: “When we went out to market with the opportunity to lease this farm, we were looking for tenants that would embrace the local community and bring something new to the area.

“Jarryd and Nathaniel’s business case is amazing, it really stood out and it was clear to see how passionate they were about their plans for Broomey Croft Farm.

“We’re pleased to have worked with them to complete the lease agreement and play a part in the bright new future of the farm.”

Mark Ryder, Executive Director of Communities at Warwickshire County Council, said: “The transformation of Broomey Croft Farm is a real credit to the dedication and vision of our Country Parks team, who have worked tirelessly to breathe new life into this site and create the fantastic premises we see today.

“We’re delighted to have secured tenants who are bringing exciting ideas and a business that not only offers something different for Kingsbury Water Park, but also connects with the local community. We’re proud to see this site being given a new lease of life as a destination that welcomes dogs, their owners, and all visitors looking to enjoy what our park has to offer.”

A landmark £2.5 billion joint venture is already driving transformative and sustainable development in Warwickshire just two years after achieving permission for its first home. 

Develop Warwickshire, a joint venture between Warwickshire County Council, Warwickshire Property and Development Group (WPDG) and Vistry Group, has already completed fifteen homes in Warton, just two years after receiving planning consent in February 2023 and is expecting to complete all 71 homes by the end of 2025.

The partnership was formed to accelerate projects and designed to enable the joint venture to be agile and move quickly with its plans to build an initial 2,000 homes across the county

In two years, it has achieved planning permissions across two sites for more than 600 homes, started work on those two sites, completed its first 15 homes and seen residents move in and supported 18 projects through its community fund.

Councillor Peter Butlin, Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Finance and Property, said: “We are extremely proud of the Develop Warwickshire partnership between Vistry, Warwickshire Property and Development Group and Warwickshire County Council. Our award-winning and innovative venture has achieved so much over the last two years and is key to the Council’s ambition to make the most of the County’s assets for the benefit of local people and local communities.

“Through Develop Warwickshire we are delivering on our long-term vision to create sustainable, high-quality, and affordable new homes that really enhance our county making it an attractive place to live and do business, and I look forward to seeing it go from strength to strength in the future.”

Since achieving planning consent on its first scheme, Develop Warwickshire has celebrated the completion of fifteen homes at Brookmill Meadows in Warton, the start of work on its largest site Milby Meadows in Nuneaton and has seen a series of important community projects benefit from its community fund.

Brookmill Meadows, a development of 71 homes in Warton, North Warwickshire, was the first scheme to start on site and it welcomed its first residents in the summer of 2024, with work expected to be completed on all the homes later this year.

Samuel Ward was one of the first residents at the development. He said: “What drew us to this house was the size of the main bedroom as well as the windows. The ones in the kitchen are amazing – it’s gorgeous how much light they let in.”

Work is also continuing at Milby Meadows, at Top Farm on the edge of Nuneaton, which when completed will comprise of 1,700 homes and create a new sustainable community.

Develop Warwickshire started work on the scheme last summer delivering a 1.5km link road which unlocked a £30 million Department for Education secondary school and work starting on the first 51 homes.

In December, plans for 479 homes in the second phase of delivery were approved which has now commenced onsite with sales office opening in May.

The scheme features a mix of property sizes, types and tenures, including 25 per cent designated as affordable housing to be managed by Platform Housing Group.

All homes built have high sustainability with timber framed construction, PV, EV Chargers, Waste Water Recovery and Air Source Heats pumps with the aim all homes are EPC A.

Phil McHugh, Divisional Director of Vistry Partnerships, said: “I am extremely proud to be part of Develop Warwickshire’s story over the past two years. It is a shining example of how partnership working can deliver much-needed housing across a mix of tenures to meet the diverse housing needs in Warwickshire.

“At Vistry, we are committed to creating sustainable communities of high-quality homes like those in Warton and Nuneaton and making them accessible to people from all walks of life.”

Develop Warwickshire has also been having a positive impact on communities in North Warwickshire and Nuneaton by supporting local projects through its community fund.

A total of 18 projects have been awarded grant funding since it launched in December 2023, ranging from youth organisations and local schools to volunteer groups and community clubs.

Groups and organisations can apply for up to £2,000 grant funding or in-kind support, with the total annual fund comprised of £25,000 in cash and £25,000 work in-kind from the joint venture partners.

Nuneaton North Scout Group received grant funding. The group traces its roots back 110 years and includes 70 members and 15 leaders, with its leaders, trustee board and committee members all being volunteers.

It has been a fantastic experience working with the teams at WPDG and WCC, having a shared vision for new communities between all three parties really makes it an easy Joint Venture to be part off.

Clare Hearnden, Group Chairman, said: “We needed better access to the loft area which we use as an equipment store, as it was a real difficulty and would sometimes put us off hosting events which required the equipment stored up there.

“Through the grant, we have been able to expand the hatch and give the loft safe step access, which means that our young people and leaders can now safely access the area.”

WPDG was formed in 2021 by Warwickshire County Council to realise the full potential of the Council’s development sites, commercial buildings and mineral rights across the county.

Stuart Buckley, Managing Director at WPDG, said that Develop Warwickshire has had a strong start and is delivering exactly what the joint venture set out to do.

“We had ambitious plans when launching Develop Warwickshire and since achieving our first planning consent in February 2023, work has continued at pace to turn those plans into tangible results,” he said.

“Develop Warwickshire is efficiently delivering high-quality homes at scale across the region. The work so far has provided the foundations for sustainable communities across North Warwickshire and Nuneaton.

“This is only the beginning for the joint venture, with a third development in the pipeline and work continuing at Milby Meadows, as we continue to bring forward schemes which will provide long-term benefits to the County and its residents.”