On 20th May a volunteer army of 13 employees from Home Retail Group spent the day at Stowe painting a bridge. As a team they were able to make the bridge look its best.

Patrick Green from Stowe commented

‘The wooden bridge had not been painted for 5 years, it’s a really significant landmark, as it can been seen from many points in the gardens. Ideally it needs to be painted every year, so without the support of this team this probably would not have happened this year as we have many priorities to deal with at Stowe. The bridge now looks fantastic, which visitors will be able to enjoy. We would definitely like more volunteers in the future and have many restoration projects on the go and would love more teams to come out to help us’.

Pete Wilks, Team Leader said

‘Overall we had a fantastic day as a team. It was a great opportunity to give something back as well as an opportunity to bond together as a team. I would recommend others coming here for a team building day’

Another employee volunteer said

‘We had a great day and the staff at Stowe have been really helpful and friendly, which adds to the enjoyment of the day. Having the chance to paint the bridge showed off different people’s ability with a paint brush. Everyone got stuck in and worked hard!’

This is one example of the incredible difference that businesses can make when they work together with communities.

If you know of a group that could benefit from a range of skills and support from volunteers please get in touch with Community Action: MK.