25 of our staff volunteered to improve the garden at a Leicester day care center for people living with dementia.
On each of two days a group of our staff were led by purchase ledger clerk Kellie Lee on the Leicestershire Cares team challenge at Holmfield Day Centre in Beaumont Leys.
There was plenty to do in the large garden at Croft Road – including removing head-height bushes and hedges, digging up roots and painting pergolas and benches.
The volunteers, who came from the Bank’s HQ on Leicester’s New Walk and from as far away as Sheffield, also constructed and treated four garden buildings that will be used as shops – a sweetshop, a post office, a butcher and a bakery.
The Cambridge & Counties team had signs made to complete the look of the village-like scene for Holmfield’s visitors to enjoy walking around, reminiscing – and perhaps to buy some of their favourite sweets.
Holmfield support worker Anne Byrne said:
“What the Cambridge & Counties volunteers achieved is absolutely fantastic. We couldn’t get over how much they got done. We were all still saying ‘wow’.
“They were fabulous with our service users – everyone had a good time. We’ll be inviting Kellie back for the grand opening when the village is completed.”
Kellie said:
“It was an amazing couple of days – really fun. It was such a worthwhile project and so good to see how excited the people at Holmfield were."
“All our colleagues were really committed to getting what was a challenging job done. They just got stuck into it and were so positive.”
Cambridge & Counties Bank is an enthusiastic member of Leicestershire Cares, which links businesses with community groups. Its team challenges match up community groups and charities with businesses with keen volunteers.