Hampshire housebuilder tackles TV-themed challenge to raise £22,000 for charity

Staff from a Hampshire-based housebuilder faced a gruelling obstacle course to raise money for its chosen charity Home-Start Portsmouth.

The team from Barratt David Wilson Homes came together for a day of larger-than-life inflatables and obstacle courses, inspired by TV’s It’s A Knock Out.

Taking on the challenge, teams tackled the Slippery Summit and battled bouncy castle hurdles to win the ultimate “best team” prize.

As a bonus to raise extra funds for the family support charity, Barratt’s board of directors also took it in turns to sit in “the hot seat” above a large tank of water, and the highest-paying bidder had the chance to release the seat, sending each director into the pool below.

In total, Barratt raised £22,000 for Home Start Portsmouth, the housebuilder’s chosen charity for 2025 / 2026 which helps families and young children with skills and confidence.

Managing director at Barratt David Wilson Homes Matt Paine, who was one of the directors sent into the dunk tank, said: “We’re delighted to be taking part in It’s a Knockout. At Barratt, we know that strong teams build great communities. This was a brilliant opportunity for colleagues to connect and raise money for a very worthy cause – even if I ended up facing the tank quite a few times!”

Head of funding and communications at Home-Start Portsmouth Natasha Solanki said: “We rely on kind donations from the public and our corporate partners are hugely important to help us raise the money we need to reach more families in the area. We are hugely grateful to Barratt for their support and thank them for such an incredible amount raised!”

Barratt David Wilson Homes is currently building developments across Hampshire including Forest Walk in Whiteley and Pebble Walk in Hayling Island.