dw - Head of Avon Tyrrell Blog: August 2008

Hello all,

This week we welcomed B&Q who undertook a community development initiatives with 111 Volunteers from B&Q’s Marketing Department. The volunteers did their own ‘DIY’ on a number of tasks around our 65 acre site. They aim of the day was to help build and maintain vital resources used by the young people who visit Avon Tyrrell Activity & Residential Centre, many of whom are from disadvantaged backgrounds and may never previously have been to the countryside. The voluntary task force undertook the following:

Build Zip Wire Shelter + path for woodland environmental survival area
Open Path around Main Lake
Build Problem Solving Base
Improve Bike Track
Restore Environmental Garden + Build Shop Garden
Continue work on our Straw Bale Classroom roof

The day was also about Team Building for B&Q and we think this format is an extremely successful way of doing this, especially at Avon Tyrrell, as we try to host volunteers as well as we can by feeding them well, and allowing use of our adventure activities throughout the day as well as giving tasks to groups that are achievable so a result is seen at the end of the day. We believe this creates a good atmosphere to work in and helps with the Team Building in a manner that is not obtrusive. The day itself saw an immense amount of effort from the B&Q gang who worked hard all day and they completed a huge amount of work, see photo’s below. We are very grateful indeed for the work undertaken and we know our visitors will also be appreciative of the work completed. We hope it will not be too long before B&Q visit again. Thank You B&Q.

If any of you readers out there are interested in a volunteer day for your company, please contact David, at info@ukyouth.org or call 01425 672 347.