A team of six volunteers from management and construction specialists Turner & Townsend's Newcastle office joined forces with the North Tyneside branch of Mental Health Matters to help rejuvenate their Phoenix Centre allotment and garden, which had become unusable due to the poor weather the UK suffered throughout last summer.

Mental Health Matters is an organisation that helps members of the public with mental health needs. The services they provide cover every aspect of daily life from employment and housing to community support and psychological services. The Phoenix Centre allotment is a place for Centre users to enjoy the outdoors by working the land; growing vegetables and flowers, and the responsibility it brings with it assists with their ongoing development.


Through the Corporate Social Responsibility scheme, Turner & Townsend employees are allowed a paid day off each year to work on voluntary and community projects. Paul Laybourne, who organised the day at the allotment, said: "This is an opportunity for Turner & Townsend to give something back to the community - it's been great, doing something worthwhile that we know makes a real difference."

During the day, the Turner & Townsend volunteers cleared pathways, repaired broken timber, and relocated/constructed a garden shed. The team also helped to create a seating area in memory of a recently deceased centre user.

Some of the members and helpers from the centre came to inspect, instruct and participate in the work being undertaken. They all enjoyed watching the transformation take shape.

The allotment is now being used regularly and centre users have carried out further cultivating and planting, and are looking forward to the coming year, where they can further develop their plans for the space.

(JM/KMcA)