The Hills Group has donated a total of £1,500 to three local charities this Christmas, continuing its long-standing commitment to supporting the communities in which it operates. 

 Calne Food Bank, Fairfield College in Westbury and Swindon based homeless charity, Threshold each received a £500 donation, with representatives from the organisations attending a cheque presentation at The Hills Group’s head office on Tuesday 16 December. The event was hosted by The Hills Group Chairman Mike Hill and Chief Executive Ed Dodd. 

 The donations will help each charity continue delivering vital services to people across Wiltshire, particularly during the challenging winter period. 

 Mike Hill, Chairman of The Hills Group, said: 

“Christmas can be an especially difficult time for individuals and families facing hardship. We are proud to support three charities that make such a positive and lasting difference in the towns where we operate and where many of our employees live. Threshold, Calne Food Bank and Fairfield College, Westbury all carry out vital work in our local communities, and we hope these donations help them continue their incredible efforts.” 

 Ed Dodd, Chief Executive of The Hills Group, added: 

“Each of the charities we are supporting this Christmas works tirelessly to help people at vulnerable stages of their lives. We are extremely grateful for the dedication of their staff and volunteers, and we are pleased to play a small part in supporting their important work. Giving back to our local communities remains a core part of who we are as a business.” 

Quotes from the charities: 

 Threshold 

“The £500 generously donated by The Hills Group means a great deal to Threshold — especially at Christmas — as we continue our work to end homelessness in Swindon. With rising rents, soaring living costs and limited access to affordable, decent housing, many local people are at risk of homelessness. We are truly grateful for this support.” 

Helen Edwards, Service Manager, Threshold 

Calne Food Bank 

“Thank you to The Hills Group for their generous donation at such a challenging time of year. This contribution will help us meet increasing demand for our three-day food parcels and relieve the worry and stress faced by local families. As an independent charity, we rely on grants and the goodwill of the community, and this support makes a real difference.” 

Kevin Wells, Chairperson, Calne Food Bank 

Fairfield College, Westbury 

“As a specialist college for young people with learning and physical needs, donations like this allow us to continue providing opportunities for our learners to develop new skills and work towards future independence and employment. We are extremely grateful for the support and for the work experience opportunity Hills gave to one of our students in the summer.” 

Graeme Athey, Principal, Fairfield College 

The Hills Group will continue to work with community organisations throughout 2026 to support projects that benefit local people across Wiltshire and beyond. 

On Wednesday 22 October, the Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire visited The Hills Group to mark the company’s 125th anniversary. 

Dame Sarah Troughton, representing His Majesty King Charles III, was welcomed by The Hills Group’s Chairman, Mike Hill, and accompanied on a tour of several key sites operated by the Wiltshire-based business, including locations in Lower Compton near Calne, South Cerney, and Swindon. 

The visit began at the Materials Recovery Facility at Sands Farm in Lower Compton. Opened in March 2020 by Hills Waste Solutions, the facility serves nearly a quarter of a million homes across Wiltshire, and is designed to sort and separate up to 52,000 tonnes of dry mixed recycling each year. 

Whilst in the area, Dame Sarah Troughton and Mike Hill viewed the Lower Compton concrete site, operated by Hills Quarry Products, as well as High Penn Park, a 200-home development completed last year by Hills Homes. 

The Lord Lieutenant then toured Cerney Wick Quarry in South Cerney, where she was shown the plant operations and aggregate bagging process. She also learned about Hills Quarry Products’ long-standing restoration partnerships with the Cotswold Lakes Trust and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. 

Travelling past The Paddocks, a smaller Hills development of 53 homes, the visit concluded at Wiltshire House, The Hills Group’s head office in County Park, Swindon. Dame Sarah Troughton was welcomed to the Robert Hills Lounge, where she met members of staff and visited the charity committee’s bake sale in support of Cats Protection. 

The Lord Lieutenant also admired fossils found by archaeologists Sally and Neville Hollingworth, who led three excavations over the years at the Cerney Wick Quarry that uncovered a 200,000-year-old mammoth graveyard. This attracted David Attenborough to the quarry, and led to a BBC documentary. 

The Hills Group was honoured to welcome the Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire, representing His Majesty the King, as part of its 125th anniversary celebrations. Founded in 1900 by a 28-year-old Edward Hill, with a brickworks in Rodbourne, Swindon, the company remains a family-run business today, Mike Hill representing the fourth generation of Hills family involvement. 

“It was an honour to accompany the Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire, Dame Sarah Troughton, on a tour of some of our sites yesterday, in recognition or the Company’s 125th anniversary since my great-grandfather Edward opened his first brickworks in Morris Street in Swindon.  Dame Sarah fully engaged with all the staff she met and found the trip truly enlightening.  To achieve this milestone and host the King’s representative in the county makes me very proud and is due to the dedication of my forebears and many thousands of loyal employees since Edward first fired up his kiln.” —Mike Hill, Chairman, The Hills Group. 

“My tour of Hills and its different and diverse businesses has been a fascinating experience. As a lay person, I was intrigued to discover what really happens to our rubbish — something most of us never think about and watching the sorting process at the Materials Recovery Facility in Lower Compton was mesmerising. We also visited the beautiful Hills Homes development at High Penn Park in Calne and The Paddocks in Blunsdon. I was particularly interested to see the washing plant at Cerney Wick Quarry, learning how materials are extracted and how quarry restoration partnerships make such a positive impact. My sincere thanks to Mike Hill and everyone at the company for such an informative and inspiring visit.” —Dame Sarah Troughton, Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire.