Green fingered gardeners from Surrey Choices’ Growth Team paired up with volunteers from Lloyds Bank during their company corporate day to carry out conservation work on the gardens at Langtons House in Ottershaw.
The Growth Team, a group of people who are taught and supported by Surrey Choices to carry out practical gardening, landscaping and maintenance work across the local countryside and its public spaces, carried out a range of horticultural tasks, including felling large trees, improving paths around the site and clearing the woodland to ensure that healthy willow and birch trees had enough space and light to grow.
Each volunteer worked tirelessly to manage the extensive grounds, working together to construct a dead hedge to protect the birch trees from attack from deer and rabbits. Once the green waste from the trees absorbs into the ground, it will create a great habitat for smaller animals and provide them with the food sources they need to survive.
Mark Evenden, Senior Activity Facilitator at Surrey Choices,’ Growth Team, commented: “It was incredible to get the opportunity to show Lloyds Bank around the beautiful grounds of Langtons House and pass on some of our horticultural knowledge.
“We worked tremendously well as a team and we even managed to complete the work in half the amount of time thanks to everyone’s enthusiasm and skill. We would love to work alongside Lloyds Bank again on further projects.”
Some of the feedback from the Lloyds Bank team, included:
“What a fantastic day! Thank you for letting us help with a really worthwhile event. This has really been a day to make a difference!”
”What an enjoyable day with a fabulous team, they taught us a lot,” and ”I learnt some great new outdoor skills today and a had great time”
Surrey Choices provide a range of support services to improve the independence, confidence and life skills for disabled people, autistic people, those with sensory needs, those with mental health problems and older people. These include a wide range of activities in day and community services, home and living through short breaks respite and Shared Lives and employment and learning, via nationally recognised employment support service, EmployAbility.
To find out more about the projects available at Surrey Choices, email info@surreychoices.com or call 01483 806806.