Corporate volunteering can improve an employee’s well-being, general morale, commitment to their company, and overall job satisfaction.

Hill End have 500m of new hedging to plant, kindly supported and funded by CPRE and Wild Oxfordshire for the Hedgerows Heroes campaign.

Our weekly volunteer team have started work on the project, and have been joined by school students and BlueSpires employees; who have committed to send volunteers to us each Wednesday to help plant new hedging.

Below, we hear what a positive experience it has been for the BlueSpires team:

I met David Millin in reception, and he gave me a very warm welcome.
After signing in, he gave me a run-down of Hill End and the work they do there. I then met the rest of the volunteers, all of whom were friendly and welcoming. We got set up as a team, grabbed some tools, and were shown where we’d be planting the new hedgerow and how to do it.
After completing our first section before 11am, we stopped for a break. On the way back to the break room, a few of the volunteers showed me other areas of the site, including the newly funded pond and a section they had planted earlier in the year. During the break, I got to know a few more volunteers. They asked about me about Bluespires, and we talked more about the work Hill End does. After the break, we headed back to the area we were working in and continued planting on the other side. Almost finished the second section before running out of time and after putting the tools away they showed me the area where they were building the thatch roundhouse.
I really enjoyed my morning doing some hands-on work again – something I haven’t done much of since moving into IT. The warm welcome and friendly atmosphere made the experience even better. I’d definitely be keen to volunteer again in the future if the opportunity comes up.
Dan (26 Nov) BlueSpires

I had an incredible day at Hill End, volunteering to plant hedges as part of a sustainability initiative. It was refreshing to step away from the office, disconnect from the computer screen, and experience something completely new.
This project wasn’t just about planting hedges, it was about creating habitats for wildlife, improving biodiversity, and contributing to a greener future.
I’m truly grateful for the hospitality and kindness I received from David and the other volunteers at Hill End. The sense of teamwork and shared purpose made the day even more rewarding. It reminded me how important it is to work together for something bigger than ourselves.
Getting outdoors and learning more about environmental impact gave me a fresh perspective and renewed energy. I’d happily do it again and encourage anyone to take part in similar initiatives!
Joel (3 Dec) BlueSpires

Yesterday at Hill End, Joel and I spent the day planting hedgerows as part of the Hedgerow Hero project. We managed to add about 25 metres toward their 500-metre goal. Along the way we met some brilliant people who’ve been volunteering at Hill End for years, and their stories and enthusiasm made the work even more enjoyable. By the time we were getting ready to leave, we finally found a really smooth planting system where Joel used a very large spike to create a hole where I would plant and wrap the saplings with a tree guard to protect them from rabbits and deer whilst they grow, which I’m sure the regulars were very impressed with. We planted hawthorn, crab apple, and a third species we kept forgetting, and got thoroughly muddy in the process.
We paused at 11 for a much-needed coffee, during which Joel replenished his energy by using all the available sugar. Before heading back out for another couple of hours. Overall, it was a great contribution to a project that will help the landscape flourish and go a long way towards restoring the hedgerows in the local area.
Alex (3 Dec) BlueSpires

I enjoyed going to hill end, it was nice to switch things up and be outdoors. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. The scenery was beautiful (especially as we got lucky with the sunny weather). The other volunteers were lovely, and it was nice to work together, we got a lot done! I would go again!! It felt good contributing to such a great cause.
Charley and Heidi (10 Dec) BlueSpires

 

 

 

We were introduced to the other volunteers over a nice hot brew to start off the day. We got kitted out with wellies and headed out to grab the planting equipment. As we were walking up, they explained a little about the history of the site and gave us a rundown of what happens up at the site day-to-day.
Once we had arrived at the planting location, one of the volunteers gave us a little demonstration on planting and explained the plastic coating wrapped around it is to stop rabbits and deers having it as a snack. Spade in hand, me and Ollie were now ready to tackle the day!
Having not engaged really in any manual toil for the last several years (these hands are more designed for the repetitive work of tapping on a keyboard all day long) I started off at a slow pace as I was getting used to it, but I eventually got more efficient in digging up the soil, planting the hedging, whacking in the cane and then wrapping round the plastic.

I had a really good morning and said to the team up at Hill End I will certainly be coming back in the New Year. To anybody that was on the fence about doing this, I really do recommend it!
Warren (17 Dec) BlueSpires

All of the volunteers were incredibly kind and grateful to have us there to assist, they all spoke very highly of the teams before us so we had a lot to live up to!
After a short introduction of the days events we got kitted up and taken through the grounds to our “desks” for the day, where we shown what to do, how to do it and sent on our way. Warren and I quickly got to work eager to make a good impression and to outdo the teams before us which was hard for two chaps who this manual toil is building desktops and not digging holes in a field!
The team was energetic and eager to learn more about us and tell us more about the history of the area and what they had been doing this year. Finally, when we were done, they took us over to their new building “The Roundhouse” (not to be confused with the music hall) and treated us to a BBQ and some warm brews.
I would recommend it to anyone has a good way to get out in nature and possibly do something new.
Ollie (17 Dec) BlueSpires