A team of volunteers from Sellafield Ltd’s Warrington offices and the local supply chain took up the challenge to refurbish and prepare the grounds for MacIntyre New Routes Orchard and Gardens at the back of Victoria Park.
More than 60 people from the company and local supply chain partners took on some much-needed work to transform the grounds following a long closure of the centre with the pandemic at MacIntyre Centre on Friday, 17 June.
The team, more used to delivering complex nuclear projects for the Sellafield site in Cumbria, took on a number of transformational activities, to help it get back to its former glory as many things had decayed.
Pauline Deans, Community Liaison Officer at Sellafield Ltd, explained:
“We have a long history of supporting our local communities in Warrington. This challenge is supporting the Sellafield SiX, Social Impact Multiplied programme, through our support for Thriving Communities and Sustainable incomes, as the work we will be doing will help to enhance the facilities at the charity to enable them to develop the skills and personal development of the learners they support."
She added:
“The main aim of the project was to clear a large area of ground, which they will use to create a new educational display garden, created by the Macintyre gardeners, which will span three different time periods. Visitors will be able to step back in time and wander through the orchard, entering into the Roman garden, continuing into the Saxon/Medieval garden, then walking through the Dig for Victory wartime garden of the 1940’s. These gardens will ensure each visitor gets a peek into Warrington history."
“It has also helped our employees to develop leadership, team working and observation skills and puts into practice the principles of social responsibility.”
Warrington Council Leader Russ Bowden visited the site to see first hand the progress being made by our engineers. He said:
“It’s great to see one or our major employers in Warrington, Sellafield Ltd and its supply chain supporting one of our local charities. The company has supported our local community over many years and I’ve enjoyed speaking to so many enthusiastic people giving their time to this exciting project.”
Sarah Tregilgas, Senior Learning Support Worker said:
“The support provided in lifelong learning is really important, to ensure positive outcomes for the people we support. The work we do here in the gardens provides lots of experiences and helps to enrich the lives of the learners."
“The work being completed today, will enhance some of the areas which have deteriorated during the past two years and help us with the development of our new educational display garden, which will increase visitor numbers to the site and much needed fundraising.”
Sellafield Ltd employs more than 1,200 people in Warrington, working in a variety of roles including project management, engineering and design.
Paul Adams, Head of Design Strategy, Sellafield Ltd added:
“The community challenge provides a valuable opportunity for our teams and supply chain to work together in a different environment whilst making a contribution to the community. It is great to see the commitment of all the people who have got involved today and what we have achieved that will make a difference to the charity, volunteers and the development of their learners.”
