• Gas company volunteers lend a hand at Queen Alexandra College in Harborne
• Cadent staff renovate a vegetable garden
• Cadent responds to West Midlands Mayor appeal

 
When West Midlands Mayor Andy Street launched an appeal for businesses to help good causes, staff from local gas network Cadent responded in spades.
 
Green-fingered volunteers from the company joined forces with Birmingham’s  Queen Alexandra College for young people with disabilities, in Harborne, to give the students’ vegetable garden a smart new look.
 
Armed with wheelbarrows, spades and paintbrushes, the eight-strong team painted fences, demolished raised beds and gave the area a thorough spring clean.
 
Bev Jessop, Queen Alexandra College’s Principal and CEO, said: “Outdoor learning is important to our students and brings huge benefits. They really enjoy working in the garden so we’re very grateful to Cadent for their help. Working with Cadent, and organisations like them, is very beneficial for our young learners.”
 
Cadent’s Ellen Wardle, who led the volunteers, said: “It was very rewarding to be able to support the fantastic work of Queen Alexandra College. The students really enjoy gardening and we know our efforts will be greatly appreciated.
“Through Cadent’s 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.”

ENDS


Picture caption: left to right - Sarah Mitchell, Victoria Fisher, Nathan Turner, Ellen Wardle, Mike Lapper, Sharon Bryan, Simon Crook, Nathan Ryder