Meet Richard - The Elms Gardening Volunteer

At The Elms Community Centre, Richard has been volunteering and helping maintain the service's garden. Here's how Richard has been spending his time...

I have been at The Elms Community Centre for nearly 3 months. I wanted to do something to make a difference and I have loved being here! Gardening is a real passion of mine and I love seeing the plants grow from seeds to fully fledged plants.

Currently I volunteer on Wednesdays and Fridays. I arrive around 9.15 and sign in, have a quick catch-up with everybody and then gather the items I need from the shed.

My days vary - I can be painting fences, planting up pots and baskets, weeding, trimming and dead-heading flowers, etc.

I do enjoy volunteering because I like being out in the fresh air and doing something I really enjoy doing!

I feel like I am creating a nice space for people to enjoy and look at the flowers and shrubs. Staff and people attending the centre also help! This gives me a sense of worth and purpose and I feel valued!

When preparing for The Elms festival, I made sure all the garden area was tidy and that all the flowers would be in bloom around the time!

I know that all the staff and people attending the centre have appreciated the work I have done to get it looking like it is!!

To read more about The Elms, click here.

If you'd like to volunteer, click here to see what opportunities we have.