MASIPHUMELELE CORPORATION & TRUST

We would like to thank each and everyone of you for your support of the Masi Bike Ride which took place last month.

The intrepid team of 16 plus back up support team completed the gruelling (for most, a few seemed to find it annoyingly easy!) ride across the hills and dales of Yorkshire and back again - a cumulative 2000 miles (over 3000 kilometres). Please find attached a few photos of the team as follows:- leaving on the first day, on route, doing their cooling down exercises at Bempton House after the first day, some of the team leaving on the second day and a convenient break at a friend's in York on the second day.

Peter and I are absolutely delighted that the efforts of the team have raised well over £3500, including gift aid this comes to over £4225! This far exceeds anything Peter had in his mind when he first suggested the bike ride last year. With regards to Gift Aid, we have assumed that you are all British tax payers unless you have explicitly told us otherwise. If this is not the case could you please let us know so that we can adapt our records and prevent us getting into trouble with the Inland Revenue!

We would like to thank again our corporate sponsors, Kent Building Developments for providing the tabards, solicitors Chadwick Lawrence and Squire Sanders for their corporate donations, Bempton House for post ride sustenance and 'Beauty by Alex Clarke' for the memorable post ride massages.

Once again thank you for your support of Masiphumelele; each and every donation will make a difference to life opportunities in Masiphumelele. The UK trustees are meeting at the end of next month and will decide on which projects and individuals this money will support.

With sincere thanks and best wishes

Sandra and Peter Dodson

Masiphumelele Trust Limited

Registered Office

7, Silverdale Road, Wargrave-on-Thames, Berkshire, RG10 8EA

A Registered Charity No. 1137358

Thinking about an extension?

If you own a property or are thinking of buying one, there are many ways you can improve it to create the extra space you need.  A well designed and well built extension will not only give you the extra spaces you need but also add value to and improve the appearance of your home.

What you need to consider before you start

Good planning will ensure your extension delivers your initial vision. So before you begin determine what your extension is for?  This sounds obvious but deciding you need extra space without planning how to achieve this can lead to disappointment and even worse extra space that doesn’t meet your needs.  

What you need extra space for?

 A growing family

A home office

To accommodate adult children or elderly parents

Leisure activities

You’ve bought a new property and want to make improvements

How your new extension will achieve this?

A games room

A garden room

A swimming pool

Office space

A dining and entertaining space

A conservatory

Kitchen diner

Budget of course is a major factor and having a definite budget will help design and extra space decisions easier to make.

Do you need an architect?

There is no doubt that you need a professional to design your extension and draw up the plans. However using a complete design and build service has many advantages over using individuals for the various stages of creating your dream home.  

Having one company to deal with means your project will run smoothly with no need for plan alterations and updates between different professionals.  An experienced complete design and build company will help you to find the best ways to solve your extra space needs and will also take care of any planning application you will need.

Other things you need to consider

Do you need planning permission >>> see blog post

How to choose a builder>>> see blog post

Ask about a feasibility Study which is an excellent way of finding out what the extending possibilities are for your home.