[C]umbrian housebuilder, Story Homes, has spent time helping to rejuvenate the garden of a local Carlisle hospice, whilst learning more about the organisation and its work.
As part of a team building exercise, nine members of the Story Homes Customer Service team visited Eden Valley Hospice in Carlisle to offer their help and give the hospice’s garden some much needed TLC.
Eden Valley Hospice, which provides care for adults with life limiting illnesses from North Cumbria, is located close to Story Homes’ ‘The Ridings’ development and so the Story Homes Customer Service employees decided to take the opportunity to incorporate some local charity work into their corporate team building activity. The aim of the exercise was to improve the accessibility of the garden for the children and young adults at the hospice, and so the team spent a day hard at work digging and tidying the space.
Chris Bray, Head of Marketing at Eden Valley and Jigsaw Cumbria’s Children’s Hospice, said: “Our garden and outdoor space is a really important feature of the hospice, as it is an area that can provide a sense of peacefulness and tranquility for patients and their families who are going through a difficult time. The Story Homes Customer Service team members were really committed to the activity – they certainly got stuck into the project and had bags of enthusiasm. Thanks to the support from the team, we are well on the way to getting our garden back to its best.”
Becci Byers, Customer Service Manager for Story Homes in Cumbria & South Scotland, said: “This was a great opportunity for Story Homes, as a local business, to give something back to a local charity which plays a crucial role in the community in which we build our homes. We are thrilled to have supported this organisation, whilst also building morale and strengthening relationships within our Customer Service team.”
The Story Homes Cumbria & South Scotland Customer Service team is looking to roll out the exercise as an annual team building activity, and following the exercise, the team has also expressed interest in partaking in Eden Valley Hospice’s annual 5km Colour Run.
Meryl Livingstone, Customer Service Advisor at Story Homes, said: “It was very rewarding to work together as a team and transform a space that is sure to have a positive impact for so many people. It was a pleasure to offer a helping hand to a Carlisle-based charity that gives back so much to the community and we hope to visit the hospice again in the near future.”
The annual running cost for Eden Valley Hospice is approximately £4,000,000, with three quarters of this amount raised by community fundraising, donations and sponsorship. For more information about Eden Valley Hospice and the care and support provided by the organisation, visit www.edenvalleyhospice.org.
