Venetia Hallam and Shane Kempe from TH March’s Commercial Team have spent a day volunteering at Routeways, a Plymouth-based charity who support children and young adults to overcome disadvantage and achieve personal growth.
Routeways provides a safe and engaging environment where young people can learn, explore and access valuable outdoor spaces, including the gardens and play areas at Devonport Play Park, in which the pair spent a lot of their time helping out!
They also run activities such as arts and crafts, cooking and days out, as well as regular social groups to improve social skills and mental wellbeing. On top of this, they run trips during weekends and summer holidays – allowing young people with additional needs to have a great time away and providing care givers with an opportunity to take some time for themselves.
During their volunteer day, Venetia and Shane helped tidy and refresh parts of the outdoor space by clearing pathways, trimming hedges and giving the garden entrance a fresh coat of paint. The pair also got the chance to explore the extensive grounds including a secret castle, where Shane found himself locked in the stocks!
Reflecting on the day, Venetia said: “We had an enjoyable day helping George in the garden at Routeways. A place full of potential and some great spaces for children (of all ages! – see below) to explore, play and learn. Shane and I have lots of ideas of things to do for next time, including bringing along some extra hands!”
Shane added: “I thoroughly enjoyed my day with V at Routeways. I was surprised how vast the grounds were and the amount of upkeep that is required to keep them clean and tidy for the adults/children that will use the facility. I am happy that I was able to contribute my time to this worthy cause and can’t wait to go back next year.”
To find out more about Routeways and the work they do, visit www.routeways.org.uk.
As an Employee-Owned Trust, as well as proud members of our local community – we love getting out and helping as often as we can, enabled through our successful Employer Supported Volunteering scheme!
You can read more about our other ESV days here: https://www.thmarch.co.uk/careers/employer-supported-volunteering/