Businesses pull together for garden makeover

Businesses from Wrexham and Flintshire pulled out all the stops to give a day centre a garden to be proud of.

Marcher Radio and Business in the Community led the action day, after putting out a call to businesses in North Wales to help them improve an outdoor area at the Cunliffe Centre, on Rhosddu Road in Wrexham.

Staff from a number of businesses throughout the area got their hands dirty as they cleared weeds and ivy, cut back hedgerows, painted fences and laid down bark.

The Cunliffe Centre is a day centre that provides a variety of opportunities for disabled people, including IT and woodwork. The majority of the outdoor area towards the rear of the building was not accessible for people in wheelchairs. But the area will soon become a place users of the centre can enjoy after the hard work put in by members of staff from firms including ScottishPower, Cadbury Trebor Bassett, Marcher Sound radio, Redhouse Solutions, TRB Ltd, Castle Cement, BHP Billiton, Redrow plc, Quadrant PR in Mold, Toyota, and Airbus.

Also involved were Marshalls, Kronospan, Deeside Power Station,
Brandon Tool Hire, Co-op Coedpoeth, Wrexham Garden Buildings, R.A.& C.E. Platt, Ink Xpress, Deeside Power Station, First Cheese Milk, Capita Symonds and Wright Landscapes Ltd.

Business in the Community is a unique movement in the UK of over 800 member companies.  Their purpose is to inspire, challenge, engage and support business in continually improving their positive impact on society.

Karen Phillips, manager of the Cunliffe Centre, said: “It was just absolutely fantastic, and quite humbling, to see so many staff from a host of local businesses giving their time to help us.

“There was a wonderful atmosphere and there was a great partnership between everybody involved. They worked so hard to give us a garden that our members can make use of. We were all overwhelmed.”
 
Paula Griffiths, Business Development Executive for BITC, said: “We had such a wonderful day. Everyone worked really hard and the garden looked completely different.

“There is still a bit of specialist work to do, like paving and slabbing, but we are also sorting out teams to come along and finish this off too. The users of the Cunliffe Centre and the staff were overwhelmed with the work that went on, and those that helped on the day were left with a real sense of achievement. It was great for all involved.”