<p><span>Barratt and McCarthy &amp; Stone have shown their support for home owners and business during the coronavirus crisis.</span><span></span></p> <p><span>Barratt has pledged £25,000 to the Big Issue, the social enterprise which sells its magazine on the streets to the public.</span></p> <p><span>With the pandemic forcing vendors to stop selling the magazine, the Big Issue has launched an appeal to encourage individuals and businesses to take out subscriptions, download the magazine’s new app or donate to its appeal fund.</span></p> <p><span>David Thomas, Barratt’s ceo, said: “As one of the Big Issue’s supporters, we recognise the vital work it does for people who don’t have a safe place to call home.</span></p> <p><span>“We’ve seen such a great effort by businesses and local communities to support those affected by the current crisis and we want to keep doing our bit to help. We’re proud to play our part in supporting the Big Issue and its vendors – not just over the coming weeks, but for many years to come.”</span></p> <p><span>At retirement housebuilder McCarthy &amp; Stone, around 500 employees have volunteered for its new Buddy scheme to assist the company's home owners. </span></p> <p><span>Staff are ensuring each resident has a point of contact for food and medical supplies …