Cabinet Members help out at Lindengate for National Volunteers Week

Members of the County Council’s Cabinet marked National Volunteers Week yesterday (2 June 2015) by donning their work gear to refurbish and pave an overgrown and neglected outside area at Wendover-based mental health charity, Lindengate.

Cabinet Members cleared and prepared the ground before cleaning and laying paving slabs. The aim of the volunteering session was to turn a bare garden area into a useable space for the charity’s clients to enjoy, and also to raise awareness of the importance of community volunteering and highlight the work that volunteers do across the county, helping to improve the environment and facilities for local communities.

Lindengate supports people aged 16 or over who are dealing with mental health issues through nature and horticulture. The charity’s key objective is to develop its 5 acre site as a social and therapeutic horticulture facility in Buckinghamshire specifically for those dealing with mental health problems.

Leader of the Council, Martin Tett, said: “We had great fun but it was very hard work! We have some new members in the County’s Cabinet and the volunteering session was a great team effort and really helped with team building, as we all joined in and found it very rewarding. By the end of the session it was fantastic to see the unused land turned into extra functional space. We hope that we’ve made a difference and it will be a pleasure for people to use.”

Sian Chattle and Charlie Powell, Lindengate’s co-founders, said: “It is always great when we have a group of volunteers supporting us in developing our site. It helps us move on with specific projects so that we can better extend our range of activities and help more people. Thank you to the Members for working so hard and for doing such a good job.”

Volunteers’ Week is an annual event, run by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, which celebrates the contribution made by millions of volunteers across the UK.

Find out more about volunteering in Buckinghamshire at http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/community/helping-your-community/volunteering/

Read more about Lindengate at www.lindengate.org.uk