On Thursday 29 January we were delighted to welcome 19 committed volunteers from our corporate partner, Octopus Group, to one of our legally protected parks, Hammersmith Park.
The volunteers braved the chilly January weather to help make the park more spacious, tidier and safer for the local community.
Nestled behind White City’s Television Centre, Hammersmith Park is an active community hub – home to tennis courts, a children’s play area, a beautiful Japanese peace garden, and a small nature area. The park is a much-needed sanctuary in a busy and densely populated part of London.
Despite a foggy weather forecast, we began the day in sunshine with a safety talk from the fantastic team at idverde. Equipped with a variety of gardening tools, the team split into three groups. Two groups focus on clearing different spots in the nature area of the park, while the third got to work litter picking in the park’s “tiny forest” to help make it cleaner and safer for both people and wildlife.
The main task of the day was clearing away overgrown brambles that had invaded two corners of the nature area of the park. The volunteers started by chopping away the upper part of the brambles, before digging up the large and embedded roots which was not an easy task. As well as unwanted roots and weeds, the team uncovered and cleared away a collection of rubbish, lost tennis balls and old bricks.
“Getting outside the office for a day is really good for health and wellbeing. Octopus is very supportive of that, they want us to come out and do it, so we’re really pleased to be here today.Stephen, Octopus Group
“Parks for me, they mean a lot. I’ve got a young son who’s three and a half. He loves going to parks and playing on the swings and slides. So being able to come and make the park safer, get rid of some brambles today, and make it better for children to come out and play and a more enjoyable space for everyone is great.”
Between 10am and 2:30pm – with a well-earned break for lunch – the volunteers made an incredible impact and completely transformed the areas they were working on. Their efforts have made the area more spacious, cleaner and safer and will also allow for grass and more desirable plant species to grow without being suffocated by hazardous brambles.
Click through the images below to see before and after photos of the areas cleared.
After clearing away any remaining rubbish, bricks, tools and a number of large bags filled with garden waste, we paused for a team photo and the volunteers headed home.
“It’s hugely satisfying to be outdoors for the day. I think we all take parks for granted despite how important they are, so it’s great to see how much work goes into maintaining them and to play a part in that.”Kristy, Octopus Group
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who contributed their time to volunteer – your work made a huge impact in a short space of time. We are particularly thankful for your dedication and commitment to getting outside and supporting the local community despite the cold January weather!
We’d also like to say a huge thank you to Danny and the team at grounds maintenance company idverde who make our Octopus volunteer days possible.
Read more about our partnership with Octopus.