Myatts Field North, Lambeth
23rd November 2011
19 volunteers gave up their time to help their community for the day.
114 hours served in revitalising the Activity Centre.
8 projects volunteered in throughout the day.
The pressure was on for the ARAMARK Civic Engagement Team to deliver their first Community Action Day located south of the river. The day before, a van was filled up with tools, paint and other necessities before embarking on route to Myatts. It seemed as though the team were destined for failure when on the way there when a tin of bright green gloss paint decided to empty itself in the back of the van. However the ARAMARK team knew that their spirits could not be defeated so easily. With the help of some white spirit, the team salvaged all the equipment and quickly cleaned up the van as best they could.
When dawn came the following day, the air outside was bitterly cold. It was very early when the ARAMARK team congregated at Myatts North to prepare for the arrival of the volunteers. They were told that many of the volunteers would come from Timberland and Man Group, but they wondered how many had been deterred by the cold weather. However, their minds were put at ease when, sure enough, the volunteers began piling in. Soon they had a very respectable turn out. The day got off to a terrific start as the team warmed everyone up with some star jumps. Spirits remained high for the whole day and there was a great atmosphere. Everyone was taken aback by the transformation that had taken place. The building was looking considerably more vibrant with the bright new green walls outside. The garden area had previously been so overgrown that the path was not visible – it was left looking much tidier. Inside, the walls had all been painted, creating a much more pleasant feel. The ARAMARK team were very sorry to see everyone go and expressed their wish to see them all volunteering again very soon at another ARAMARK community action day.
By Rowan Campus
“It’s been hugely rewarding, I would definately get involved
if you can do. The team are really helpful and lead you in
the right way.”
Louise, Man Group
“It’s really nice being outside and not being in the office
and just being able to relax a bit and doing something
where you can actually see a result.”
Josan, Timberland
“It’s been great meeting everyone from lots of different
walks of life, lots of different companies. We did a lot in the
time that we had and I think we’ve achieved quite a bit.”
Jessica, Drama graduate
