Housing staff get on board for volunteering challenge
Thirty Incommunities’ staff today swapped the office for the classroom in a national volunteering challenge.
The makeover team spent the day brightening up a library bus and outdoor learning space at Farfield Primary School in Buttershaw as part of Give and Gain Day.
The volunteers included estate staff, trades operatives, construction apprentices and training staff. They were joined by the school’s business manager, Ewan Clark and local volunteers.
Together, they painted the school’s library bus, repaired and replaced old fencing, carried out planting and cut back hedging.
Some of Incommunities’ apprentices also made potting benches to help the school children nurture their gardening skills.
Ewan said: "The volunteers have all done such a fantastic job and really transformed the area. The pupils and staff will hardly recognise it when they return next month!
The Incommunties’ team have helped to make it a place where children and staff will want to spend time which will be a massive boost to the pupils' learning opportunities. I can see the garden becoming a cherished part of school once again.
A massive thank you to everyone at Incommunities, businesses who have helped with supplies and also Business in the Community who helped set up this partnership."
Tony Thompson from Incommunities’ Construction Skills Training team, who was involved in organising the day, said: "Everyone has really got stuck in to give this outdoor space a real makeover."
Geraldine Howley, Incommunities’ Group Chief Executive, said: "It’s been a real team effort and everyone has been proud and passionate about lending a hand. Challenges like this are a great way for staff to use their skills and time to give something back to the communities that we work in and support."
Give and Gain is a year round global celebration of employee volunteering and the positive impact it can make on communities and schools. It is coordinated by the charity, Business in the Community.
The double decker bus was donated to the school by First Bus in 2016 before being converted into a library. A big thank you to the following businesses who kindly supported the project: Acorn Garden Supplies in Bingley, Knowl Park Nurseries of Mirfield, B&Q, Jewsons and Crown Paint.