Miller Homes Scotland East is supporting two Midlothian community groups through its Community Fund initiative, donating £1,000 each to Lothian Children’s Deaf Club in Bonnyrigg and Whitecraig Christmas Lights in Dalkeith.

Since launching in 2022, the Community Fund has made a meaningful difference to local communities across Scotland, awarding £344,000 in grants to 538 organisations. The initiative has helped a wide range of projects, from supporting foodbanks, sports teams, music groups and creative spaces. So far in 2025 Community Fund has supported seventeen groups across Scotland with a share of £20,000, including Lothian Children’s Deaf Club and Whitecraig Christmas Lights.

Miller Homes’ donation to Lothian Children’s Deaf Club will go towards purchasing BSL resources for schools. This includes posters for open parts of the school with BSL greetings, useful words/phrases and grammar, as well as flashcards for further learning.

Kirsten Abioye, co-founder at Lothian Children’s Deaf Club said: “Thanks to a generous £1,000 donation from Miller Homes, we can continue our mission at LCDC to support deaf children and their families.

A big part of that is providing opportunities to learn BSL so we hope these resources will encourage and support BSL learning in schools. This also fosters community learning, where hearing children have the opportunity to learn alongside deaf children and helping to create an inclusive school environment where everyone feels they belong.”

Funding awarded to Whitecraig Christmas Lights will support ongoing fundraising efforts to help light up the village during the festive season, bringing residents together and creating a strong sense of local pride.

Rebecka Melrose, representative of Whitecraig Christmas Lights, said: “Thanks to a generous £1,000 donation from Miller Homes, we can continue to light up the village and spread festive cheer for everyone to enjoy. A huge thank you to Miller Homes for supporting our community.”

Neil Gaffney, Regional Sales Director for Miller Homes Scotland East, said: “We are delighted to be able to continually support causes within the communities that we have developments. Supporting initiatives like Lothian Children’s Deaf Club and local projects such as Whitecraig Christmas Lights reflects our commitment to strengthening communities and bringing people together.

“The work of Lothian Children Deaf Club is vitally important in supporting families by creating a community centred around inclusivity and continuous learning. We are delighted that this funding will go towards continuing this amazing work.

The village Christmas lights play a special role in creating a sense of pride and festive spirit for residents of all ages. We’re pleased that this funding will help ensure the lights continue to shine for the community.”

For more information on Miller Homes’ Community Fund and to find out when the next round of funding opens, visit www.millerhomes.co.uk/communityfund.