Volunteering 2024
Sunnyside Rural Trust
Sunnyside Rural Trust is a small, horticultural project for young people and adults with learning disabilities. It is a thriving charity and social enterprise with three sites, offering training and work experience for over 150 vulnerable people (trainees) in the local community.
In late May, our four intrepid volunteers arrived at Sunnyside Trust in Northchurch ready for a day helping out with various tasks. After a debrief on what our tasks for the day included, we were led over to polytunnels 3&4 which were to be our home for the day. As the pictures will show, our job was to clear the considerable number of overgrown/old plants along with weeding and working alongside a couple of the regular trainees. Sunnyside were a bit behind with the work in the polytunnels due to other priorities, hence our attendance was timely.
Armed with our various gardening tools we launched ourselves into digging, forking and hoeing, with the plant waste piled up to be loaded into wheelbarrows for distribution around the site, including feed for the 300+ rescue chickens on site.
Once we had cleared the first polytunnel we were given a tour of the site including taking some of the plant waste down to the chickens…they eat most plants and then onto the ducks. After this we were shown their sheep, goats, and then onto to see the 3 pot-bellied pigs which had been rescued from a house in London! Following this we had our lunch, which was provided by the team at the Trust and consisted of produce from the site, including salad, pickles and egg sandwiches, all of which was excellent.
Fortified by our lunch we returned to the polytunnels and set about removing the overgrown plants and weeds, although with a bit less energy than in the morning. At the end of our shift, we had successfully cleared both tunnels. A fantastic day was had by all our team with Sunnyside staff really appreciating our help.
Open Door
Open Door is a community café and arts space in Berkhamsted where locals can be active, creative and social, whatever an individual’s circumstances. Last year, we contributed a grant of £7,600 to Open Door which helped towards phase one of their ‘Community Garden Project’. The garden is part of a wider community enterprise and is available for local residents to enjoy.
In March, six of our colleagues spent a day volunteering at Open Door to help get the garden ready for the Spring/Summer. Our colleagues spent the day hard at work planting numerous plants, including daffodils, forget-me-nots, lilies, snow drops, tulips, and a few strawberry plants. The General Manager was very grateful for our assistance on the day and also for the donations of clothes which were made by colleagues at HBS.
Watling View School
On Monday 22nd July, eight of our colleagues volunteered a day at Watling View School. Watling View School is a 2-19 maintained special school in St Albans. The school caters for 100 pupils, with a wide range of complex and profound learning difficulties.
Our Savings Operations Association Jane Beddoe talks through the day.
“Our team were told to expect to be doing some painting of classrooms or possibly some outside work, so we were dressed accordingly.
We were met by Mark, the site supervisor, who welcomed us with a broad smile and a knowing look in his eyes – he clearly had a plan for us. We were shown through the school premises to the upper years area where there was a corridor and a room in need of painting. Mark asked for some volunteers to start painting and so 5 of our group were quickly set underway with paint, brushes and rollers. The remaining 3 of us were allocated the outside task of sanding down some metal scaffold-type pole railings. Armed with sandpaper and scrapers we got started. The weather was a bit overcast with a hint of drizzle in the air but was ideal really for the job in hand.
The ”inside” team went great guns and had definitely got more paint on the walls than they had on themselves which is always good. The room was almost finished, and the corridor was looking good. It seemed a good time to stop for lunch, so we congregated in an outside seating area and built our energy levels back up with sausage rolls and some leftover hog roast from our HBS family fun day.
The afternoon flew by in a frenzy of more sanding, scraping, and painting before Mark gave us a half hour warning of time up. Spurred on to get as much done as possible the inside team (who had finished their task) came out to assist with the railings. We didn’t quite get them completely finished but Mark, the supervisor, was smiling and seemed pleased with our efforts. Once we finished we cleared up and headed to the pub for a well-deserved beer!”
Small Acts of Kindness
Earlier in the year we contributed another volunteering day at Small Acts of Kindness (SAOK), our third visit in consecutive years. This time four of our team wrapped up and volunteered an afternoon to help pack 'warm in winter' gift bags. These bags are distributed to older and vulnerable people in Hertfordshire to ensure they feel warm and connected within their community.
SAOK mission is to reduce loneliness and isolation for older and vulnerable people, one small act of kindness at a time. The charity does this by sourcing and distributing practical gifts that reduce the negative impact that feeling lonely and isolated can have on older people’s physical and mental wellbeing.
SAOK impact
1 in 5 older people spending their waking day alone. Many struggle to keep warm
105,000 older and vulnerable people are now warmer in their homes, happier and better connected to their communities
450 volunteers and 150 partner organisations help SOAK reach thousands older and vulnerable people each year.
Our time at SAOK is always rewarding and our colleagues fully enjoyed their volunteering session, especially knowing the huge difference that these gift bags make.
Riding for the disabled
Just like in 2023, our Branch Associate Nicola Howes recently volunteered a day with the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA). This year Nicola volunteered at Briden’s Camp, Gaddesden Place, which is a dedicated RDA centre offering anyone with additional needs and disabilities the opportunity to participate in a range of equine based activities. Here Nicola, talks about her experience.
“On Friday 17th May I set off to RDA Briden’s Camp for a volunteering day at Riding for the Disabled. The weather was glorious and great fun was had. My tasks consisted of stable duties in the morning and then in the afternoon side-walking. This consists of walking at the side of the pony close to the rider or in some cases holding the rider in place depending on the level of disability.
The camp has capacity for 6 horses but presently only has 3 (mainly due to costs and suitability). They have indoor and outdoor arenas with winches and platforms to aid riders on and off the horses. The camp also has a mechanical horse which enables larger riders who can’t or won’t ride a real horse.
Briden’s Camp also offers a therapy called Hippotherapy – the use of horse riding as a therapeutic or rehabilitative treatment to help improve coordination, balance, and strength, especially to those with neurological conditions. This is an exceptional charity that makes you realise the positive influence that animals can have on everyone’s wellbeing”
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