The scorching June heat didn’t deter volunteers from making a beautiful Kitchen Garden at the local nature reserve. On the 23rd June, Law firm Shoosmiths coordinated volunteers from local businesses including Eurogarages, Mustard Tree and CBRE to help improve this valuable green space.
The day began with introductions at the Meeting Place, followed by a tour of the Ecology Park where attendees heard about Groundwork’s Sustainable Business Membership scheme, of which corporate volunteering plays an important part. Before getting started, attendees took part in a Green Gym warm up session to prepare for the upcoming outdoor activities.
The volunteer’s task for the day was to clear an unused area of Trafford Ecology Park, just behind the Groundwork office, to make a Kitchen Garden.
Focusing on the disused area, they divided themselves between two sections and began to weed, transforming the overgrowth and restoring the cobbles hidden among them. Next, they had to work as a team to construct the raised beds, holding them steady as the beams were drilled together.
During the day, the team was surprised by an appearance from Spiderman! Who was a big fan of the work the volunteers were doing and helped give them some extra motivation for the afternoon.
After lunch the group filled the newly constructed raised beds with compost and planted them with fruits and vegetables including strawberries and lettuce. Once grown, the produce will be available for communal use from all site users, such as the Groundwork staff, visitors, and learners.
During the summer the produce will grow and become a functional Kitchen Garden. We hope that Shoosmiths and their friends will be able to return in the future to see the fruits of their labour!
