The 16-strong group took up strimmers and shovels to go into action in a day-long challenge. Colleagues from the community retailer’s Oxford head office lent a hand to cut back overgrowth at the farm’s car park for the disabled, restored a lavender bed in the walled garden and carried out re-seeding.
To add a competitive element to the fun, the group split into three teams and the best one was rewarded with a selection of plants to take home to their own gardens.
Gordon Wilkins, Head of Audit and Risk at Midcounties, is a member of Cogges’ Shadow Board . He said: “I was aware of what needs to be done to keep Cogges in good order and got a group of colleagues together to help. It was hard work but we enjoyed it. There was a good team spirit and a lot of laughs.
“It was a change from our usual environment and everyone is really up for going back and doing more work.”
Carol Anderson, Museums Services Manager at Oxfordshire County Council, which is still responsible for Cogges, said: “We’re really grateful to Midcounties for their support. They worked incredibly hard and it has really made a difference to the site. The lavender garden in particular looks beautiful.”
The Midcounties Co-operative has an extensive colleague volunteer programme that takes on all types of challenges to assist local people and organisations and to help the participants to develop personally and as a team.
Thank you Midcounties!
