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Arco Colleagues Volunteer in Support of Environmental Causes

09 January 2023

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Colleagues from across Arco have been volunteering their time in support of several environmental projects and initiatives. As a responsible choice of safety partner, Arco gives each colleague an extra two days of paid leave every year to give back to the things that matter to them - including protecting and enhancing the natural world.

Recently, two groups of colleagues adorned their gardening gloves and work boots to help the planet.

Alice Marren, Learning and Development Partner, was joined by colleagues Andy Hirst, Katie Train, Tracey Jackson, Emma Willison and Liz Farr for a day of tree planting at the PATT Foundation (Plant-A-Tree-Today) Centre in Hull.

Alice said:

"The PATT Foundation is an incredible environmental conservation organisation that is on a mission to save the planet, one tree at a time. They are relatively new to the Hull area, meaning the site they currently occupy is needing quite a bit of work to try and get it running more efficiently. We were delighted to be able to help and get to know one another better in the process."

The PATT Foundation not only plants trees, but also educates communities on sustainable forestry and the environment.

Steven Summerscales, Regional Sales Manager, and the Yorkshire and East Midlands Sales Team, also decided to help the organisation by planting some saplings.

Steven said:

"We chose to volunteer with them as it was a wonderful opportunity to support their 'One Hull of a Forest' scheme. We were able to plant over 1,000 saplings throughout the day which will now be safe inside greenhouses until their final planting next year."

In the northwest, a group of colleagues came together to volunteer for the National Trust at Penrhyn Castle in Wales.

Colleagues from Arco's Sales, Retail, IMS (vending) and Technical Sales Specialist Teams as well as Arco Professional Safety Services got involved, with support from customers Globus and 3M.

The aim of the day was to not only give back to the community, but to build relationships and develop team building skills.

Andrew Clough, Business Development Manager at Arco, said:

"The day came about following a conversation with the National Trust about an order.

"They told me they were planting 10,000 spring bulbs at the castle and I thought it would be a great opportunity for us, as a team, to give something back, so I offered our assistance as volunteers.

"It was fantastic to get colleagues and customers from across the northwest together and volunteer in this beautiful location and put our gardening skills to good use.

"Unfortunately, due to the dry weather in North Wales, at the time, the ground was too hard for planting bulbs, so we took part in clearing some laurel bushes instead."

Finally, colleagues from Arco's Commercial Operations Team used one of their CSR days to volunteer at the North Cave Wetlands and plant reed plugs.

The reed plugs, once grown, will be moved, and replanted into larger ponds to provide a habitat for the areas nesting birds.

James Healey, Commercial Operations Manager, said:

"The day was hard work but great fun. It started with rain and finished with bright sunshine. It was great to get out, as a team, and do something for the community."

Stephen Martin, Vice-Chairman of Arco, championed the development of the North Cave Wetlands back in 1999 and has been heavily involved in its development from a quarry site to what it is today since the land was purchased in 2001.