We were delighted to welcome a team of Kier Group employees to our tree nursery this month for a volunteering day to help weed, dig trenches, and plant trees.
All Kier employees have two volunteer days per year to use as they wish and seven employees from Kier’s South West Water contract visited our nursery.
The team of seven dug in and achieved an astonishing amount, with over 1,000 trees planted, including oak, beech, hazel and holly. When these trees reach the appropriate size, they will be sold to help generate income for our homelessness charity. The volunteer team also helped with weeding, digging trenches and backfilling (filling in the empty space around a tree’s root system).
Commenting on the experience, Kerry Fenton, Customer Experience Manager for the South West, said:
“It was an incredibly rewarding day and we really felt we made an impact and a little bit of a difference, but most importantly, we supported a charity that was in desperate need of volunteers to help them achieve their mission.”
We have an ongoing need for volunteers at our tree nursery with plenty of tasks available and in return, we can offer a rewarding volunteer experience that gives people the chance to be outside, enjoy nature, learn new skills and improve mental health. Isabel Summerton, HR Business Partner for the South West, experienced the benefits of volunteering at our nursery, commenting:
“It is a fantastic opportunity to spend time doing something different and for a worthwhile cause, without eating into annual leave. I really enjoy being outdoors, which is why I chose to take part in this activity tree-planting and gardening in the countryside. By the end of the day, I genuinely felt energised; being outdoors definitely has huge benefits for mental health. At the same time as supporting an excellent cause, it is a great opportunity to build relationships with colleagues and work together.”
The support of local businesses and volunteers means the world to us and will help our tree nursery grow into a social enterprise that can support our aim of opening accommodation for homeless people in Cornwall. We are extremely grateful to the Kier employees for spending the day with us and look forward to a rewarding working relationship in the future.
If you are looking for a group or team volunteering opportunity in Cornwall and would be interested in getting involved with our tree nursery, please get in touch. We are located at Trewoon, near St Austell and welcome individuals, couples, groups and teams for regular or one-off sessions. To enquire, please contact Rod on [email protected]