- Garden make-over for Wolverhampton’s The Kingswood Trust, courtesy of Cadent
- Cadent staff respond to Mayor’s appeal
- Engineers and support staff create garden oasis for nature education charity
It was a case of move over Alan Titchmarsh as green-fingered volunteers from gas network Cadent gave a Wolverhampton charity a striking garden make-over.
Cadent engineers and operations staff from Wolverhampton and across the West Midlands formed their own version of ‘Groundforce’ after an appeal from West Midlands Mayor Andy Street urging businesses to lend a hand to worthy causes.
Armed with gardening tools and bags of enthusiasm, the 18-strong team transformed overgrown flower beds at The Kingswood Trust into a welcoming garden area. Hacking away waist-high weeds, they cleared and woodchipped the overgrown areas, renovated the tarmac and built wooden picnic benches ready for children and visitors to enjoy.
The Kingswood Trust, set in the countryside, six miles outside of Wolverhampton, offers residential stays and environmental education activities, focusing on nature, that give youngsters and their families the benefits of learning in the fresh air. Kingswood Trust has recently been honoured with The Queens Award for Voluntary Service – an MBE for its work with volunteers.
Rachel Wells, Headteacher and Charity Manager at the Trust, said: “Our friends from Cadent got stuck in with the days tasks, worked really hard and transformed the grounds. We have a nine-acre site full of wild places that need regular attention…we really couldn’t do it without the support of such willing teams. Thank you to Cadent for choosing to support Kingswood Trust.”
Cadent’s Reshma Bodalia, who led the team’s efforts, said: “The team did a fantastic job and it is nice to know our efforts will be enjoyed by local families and children.
“As a company we play an essential role, keeping people warm and safe. But through our volunteering programme we’re giving something back to the community and so far our volunteering activities have had a positive impact on 32,000 people across the country.”
Cadent’s activities were part of Mayor’s Giving Day, an initiative by West Midlands Mayor Andy Street to celebrate those who support good causes and encourage the region’s businesses to do more.
Mr Street said: "It was fantastic to see Cadent taking the spirit of Mayor’s Giving Day to heart and giving something back to the local community. We want to encourage more companies to think about how they can give more and I would encourage other businesses across the region to get involved.”
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Helping out in spades….Cadent engineers and support staff lend a helping hand to Wolverhampton’s The Kingswood Trust