A DIGITAL estate agent is bringing businesses together to help them better serve the community.

Alison Burden, who has 25 years' experience as an agent, set up her digital residential sales business Resides Swindon last year.

She hopes her venture and knowledge and appreciation for Swindon can do more good for the community than some of the bigger firms.

At the company’s official launch at the Basepoint Business Centre she brought together solicitors, mortgage advisors other businesses connected to the housing market to help foster a culture of keeping it local.

The aim was also to build a network of businesses that are mindful of supporting people in the local community.

Alison told the Adver: “There was a really good turn out, we had all sorts of people there.

“Obviously my business is an estate agents, but it’s about using these opportunities to help the wider community.

“I would like to run a company where you can get a personal side to it, where the business cares about the people in the local area.

“We are trying to offer a very high level service and charge fees which I just think are fair. I think the upfront fees for tenants in the rental market are insane.

“It’s penalising people who are already struggling as it is.”

The estate agent met Debbie Clark from the charity Jessie May and was touched by the work they do providing palliative care to terminally ill children at home in Swindon.

“God forbid if anything happened to them, it would have a massive impact on people and especially children,” she added, “I’m sure a lot of people don’t even know about it.

“That will be my goal, to raise awareness about other charities as well.

“Swindon has a lot going of it. It’s started to come into its own - it’s also about making people aware of what’s going on.”

The Jessie May Trust is almost entirely reliant upon voluntary funding, and encourages donations from individuals, businesses and community groups.