Yorkshire-based parcel business delivers green space for local specialist college

The group, made up of colleagues from the delivery organisation’s IT team, spent the day at Future Horizons college in Leeds helping to clear a large outdoor space, which had previously been unusable.

Headed up by Daniel Farrell, Business Analyst at Evri, the team were looking for ways to support the local community, spurred on by the company’s extensive ‘Time Off Policy’, which gives permanent colleagues a day’s paid leave a year to help make a positive change in their local areas through volunteering or charity support.

Through engagement with local Facebook groups, Daniel was directed to Groundwork Yorkshire – a local cause working as part of a wider national organisation, which aims to support communities across the country, from helping people get jobs to creating and maintaining accessible green spaces.

Daniel said: “At Evri, we’re always looking at ways to continuously improve, and the business really supports this by making volunteering days more accessible for its colleagues.

“In line with this, my team and I were exploring ways we could best help our local community and from connecting with Peter Murphy at Groundwork Yorkshire, we were told about Future Horizons Leeds, who had recently contacted the team asking for support – the whole thing just sort of fell into place!”

From this, the team at Evri were able to spend the day at the specialist college, working on clearing the previously unusable space and preparing the area to be landscaped, creating a much-needed space for the students.

“Overall, it was a great day!” said Daniel, “the sun was shining and although it was very warm, we managed to get a lot done, filling a massive skip with tree cuttings & undergrowth.

“The day was so rewarding and following this, we have already reached out to other organisations to explore activities we can be involved which benefit Morley and the surrounding areas!”

Peter Murphy, Operations Director at Groundwork Yorkshire, said: “I was delighted to bring together a willing volunteer group from Evri with a deserving project like Future Horizons.

“The team from Evri were enthusiastic and worked hard to transform an overgrown space into an area that the college will be able to develop into something that their students can use for years to come.”

Beckie Loosemore, CEO at Future Horizons Leeds, said: “We are extremely grateful for the effort made on our outdoor project!

“The team worked extremely hard to begin work on our sensory outdoor space, which, once finished, will have such a positive impact on the college.

“The garden will provide an area for relaxation, exploration, learning new skills and engaging with nature, all of which is so beneficial for the health and wellbeing of our students.”