TEN corporate volunteers from Laleham Health and Beauty in Alton finished their year’s volunteering programmeby donning wellies and waterproofs to tackle some serious woodland clearing in support of the Deadwater Valley Trust.

This was the fifth challenge undertaken by Laleham volunteers in the Alton and Bordon area, and it was a far cry from the health and beauty contract environment in which they normally work.

Laleham technical manufacturing manager Matt Turner said: “We have really enjoyed supporting a range of charities throughout the year, including building a path at Flood Meadows and helping Vokes Lunch Club in Alton make their garden accessible for their clients, building storage pens at Bordon’s Furniture Helpline, and cutting back rhododendrons with The Deadwater Valley Trust on the local nature reserve in Bordon.”

He added: “At Laleham Health and Beauty, we believe strongly in corporate social responsibility and supporting our local community and see it as a great opportunity for cross-functional teams to work together for a good cause.”

The volunteering day was organised by Community First as part of the organisation’s employee volunteering scheme.

Janet Duggan, volunteer service manager, said: “We work with a number of businesses across East Hampshire, Havant borough and Winchester, from large multinationals to smaller businesses who all have the common goal of wanting to make a difference in the community.

“Businesses can choose to take part in a team volunteering day helping local charities to carry out conservation, decorating, gardening, befriending, plus many other projects.

“We also have a skill-share scheme whereby any size business can pass on their expertise to the voluntary and community sector. This could be things like presentation skills, marketing or social media, management processes, photography and film-making techniques. We are looking for more businesses to get involved so please get in touch.”

To find out more about the scheme, contact Rachel Taylor on [email protected] or call 0300 500 8085.