news: Out with the old, in with the new
Tuesday 15th October 2019
Our Birmingham and Bristol offices recently came together to volunteer at Queen Alexandra College (QAC) in Harborne, Birmingham, to help them clear part of the garden ready for re-design.
QAC is a specialist school for students above the age of sixteen with visual impairment, autism and other disabilities. The school provides learning opportunities for students to give them skills for work or independent living and we were tasked by staff to clear an old vegetable garden to allow for a new garden to be created which will be accessible for all students.
After three hours of lifting, drilling, and hammering we successfully deconstructed an old shed, removed fencing and moved over 100 paving slabs, before heading off for a well-earned break!
As a company we are committed to making a difference and recently became corporate members of Love Brum, an organisation that engages with local people, businesses, and charities to support projects across Birmingham. It was through Love Brum that we were able to find the opportunity to volunteer at QAC.
ITP's Managing Director, Jon Parker, says...
"It’s been a pleasure to have lent a helping hand to Queen Alexandra College and to do our small part in helping our local community. Being part of the ‘Thrive at Work’ programme has opened our eyes to the wider value of volunteering, and the health and well-being benefits it brings to our staff and those that we work with."
Our morning of volunteering also helped us work towards our Thrive at Work accreditation, an initiative led by the West Midlands Combined Authority, to promote employees' health and wellbeing, alongside providing social value to the community. Although volunteering helps us to meet our objectives as a company, the most rewarding and important outcome is knowing that it’s made a real difference to the QAC.
ITP – improving the way the world moves and, on this occasion, improving community gardens.