DCC Apprentice Volunteering Challenge

Every year the Devon County Council apprentices come together and help a local school/charity in an annual Volunteering Challenge. This year, the WESC Foundation reached out for help with a new site they have, in trying to develop what was bramble-covered woodland into an outdoor learning area for the blind and partially blind.

The main tasks of the day were bramble pulling, shed painting and cutting down low branches off of trees to create open spaces. We were kindly donated tools by Build-a-Base, and we brought our own paint to spruce up an old shed.

The WESC Foundation’s Employability and Work Placement Coordinator Linda Stafford said: 

“We were extremely fortunate in having the very able support of a group of Volunteers recently from Devon C.C. Apprentices at our newly acquired Horticultural Site at West Hill.

They set to work on an extremely hot day painting the onsite “Office” and Jungle busting their way through some densely overgrown areas.

It really was a fantastic effort made by all concerned, and although we were all quite exhausted at the end of the project, it was a very satisfying feeling to see before and after what can be achieved as being part of a successful team working efficiently together.

I would also like to take this opportunity to say a massive “THANK YOU” to both Tim and Wayne at Buildbase for the brushes and other materials for the painting project, as well as those who donated the paint. Without their very kind generosity, the project would not have happened.”

By the end of the day, a lot of the weeds and branches had been cleared, and the shed looked brand new! We were lucky with the weather, and even luckier with the opportunity to take time out of our work week to help our community.

Apprentices in front of the newly painted shed.

Abi Farr

Payroll Officer

Twitter | Facebook | Website