Our HSEQ team brightens up Martineau Gardens, Birmingham
On World Mental Health Day, 14 members of Avove’s HSEQ (Health, Safety, Environment and Quality) team rolled up their sleeves and donned their PPE to clear leaves and remove debris and excess algae from the pond at Martineau Gardens in Edgbaston, Birmingham.
Martineau Gardens is a charitable organisation that manages a beautiful community garden which is set over two and a half acres of organically managed landscape, it’s an oasis for wildlife and a destination for outdoor escape.
The horticulture team at Martineau Gardens provides therapeutic horticulture programmes for people who regularly help and support the charity – many of whom have mental health and learning support needs – and also delivers education sessions on science and nature for school children.
The pond is an essential part of Martineau Gardens, and the team have been drafted in to bring this vital area of the gardens back to life – so the volunteers and public can use it to its full advantage. As well as clearing leaves and debris in the pond, the team made way for planting a diverse range of plants to enhance the areas. They also helped to clear the surrounding area providing the perfect hideaway for insects and nature to thrive. The work will benefit volunteers, visitors and wildlife by providing a safe and clear area to work and walk around.
The Avove team took part in this day as part of its volunteering scheme which allows every colleague to spend one working day a year doing voluntary work and further supports the company’s commitment to supporting local communities, social mobility and protecting the environment.
It was great to come together as a team on World Mental Health Day to support such a wonderful cause and to help the charity to brighten the area and bring the pond back to use. The team at Martineau Gardens make such a difference in people’s lives – whether it’s through their horticulture therapy and working with people with mental health needs or providing a beautiful area for visitors to enjoy. It was nice to play a small part in helping improve the site further.
As a team, we enjoyed coming together to use our volunteering day to make a difference in the community whilst working hard and having some fun.”
Avove Head of HSEQ, Liz Groundland
Thank you to the team at Avove who have transformed the pond area, which will have a massive impact on how we operate going forward. It was fantastic to see such a large group join us with some major clearance of the area which had become overgrown and clogged up with plants and leaves – we wouldn’t have been able to clear this area and take on these extensive jobs on the site without the help of the Avove team.
Clearing the pond and surrounding area is vital to our work – the pond is a haven for wildlife and also forms a big part of our education programme as the pond dipping is one of the most popular activities with the 1200 school children who visit us every year.”
CEO Jenni Fryer, Martineau Gardens
You can find out more about Martineau Gardens and how you can support them here.
At Avove, our colleagues can take advantage of volunteering days which allows them to give back to their local community.
