Four dedicated employees from Ontex Global swapped their desks and air-conditioned office for a day of hard work in the summer heat, volunteering at Sandfields and making a real difference to the lives of people we support.
Paulina, Louise, Sally and Tara arrived full of enthusiasm and positivity, ready to take on a challenge. Despite the exceptionally hot weather, the team brought smiles, energy and genuine interest, creating a wonderful atmosphere throughout the day.
The group worked tirelessly in the garden, transforming and improving the outdoor space that residents have been enjoying during the cooler evenings of the recent beautiful weather. Their efforts have helped to create a more welcoming and
accessible
Accessible means something is easy for people to use or join in with. For example: Accessible writing means the writing is easy to read and understand.
environment where people can relax, socialise and enjoy being outdoors.
The team was fantastic. The group had a great combination of personalities and interests that brought joy and interest with them. They worked really hard considering the difficult weather conditions and showed initiative throughout the day. When there was no strimmer, they contacted their company and purchased one for us. This made such a difference. They did a great job and it was very much appreciated.
Special recognition must also go to Louise Heelan, who dedicated significant time and effort to planning and coordinating the volunteering day before rolling up her sleeves and getting stuck into the work herself.
It was hard work but incredibly rewarding. The residents wanted to talk to us and that really made a lasting impact. One resident told us how much he loved the garden and enjoyed pottering around outside, but it had become too difficult to keep on top of such a large area.
The staff were amazing and provided sandwiches, cold drinks and even ice, which was a real bonus on such a hot day. We were so pleased we could buy a strimmer, and we also left weed killer because the ivy was the biggest problem. Now it has been cut back, hopefully the weed killer will help keep it under control.
It’s not just volunteers from outside Mencap who get stuck in…
On 29 June, members of Mencap’s Finance Team stepped away from their busy roles and embarked on a mission to connect with the soil – quite literally!
Nothing was going to stop Jon, Foong-Yee, Emma, Janet, Nicky, Patrick and Sameena. They rolled up their sleeves, remembered their sun cream (we hope!) and got to work at Thorpe Way.
The team tackled an impressive range of jobs throughout the day. As well as planting beautiful flowers and plants, cutting the grass and repairing the decking, they also carried out a huge amount of tidying, clearing overgrown areas and power washing the patio, giving the outdoor space a fresh new look.
The scale of the work became clear as the team generated an incredible two green wheelie bins, around 13 black bin bags and a further two bags of green waste. In fact, some of the green waste is still sitting in Jon's van - let's hope there aren't too many spiders hiding in there! Fortunately, resident Dave was on hand to impress everyone by naming many of the different species found around the garden.
Thanks to their hard work and enthusiasm, the team transformed the gardens into beautiful, welcoming spaces where residents can relax and enjoy the outdoors.
The volunteers have done a brilliant job. They worked on not only the back garden but the front garden as well. In addition, they cleaned the gutters, planted beautiful flowers and plants, cut the grass, and even repaired the decking.
It looks stunning now, so thank you very much from all the people we support who live here and from all the staff members - You rock!
The Thorpe Way team also played their part in making the day a success, treating the volunteers to an amazing feast of fresh fruit and snacks. It was a much-appreciated boost on what turned out to be a very warm day.
For some members of the Finance Team, this was their first time volunteering, while others have given their time before to help improve outdoor spaces across our services, creating beautiful environments for the people we support to enjoy. Hopefully, it won't be the last!
See how your team could volunteer with Mencap!
We are incredibly grateful to all our corporate volunteers for their hard work and dedication, and we are delighted with the fantastic work they achieve.
Corporate volunteering and partnerships
For more information about corporate volunteering please use our expression of interest form.
If you are interested in a broader corporate partnership with Mencap visit our Corporate Partnerships page.
By Mencap