Eight colleagues from UK Shared Business Services spent a day working alongside staff and service users at Growth Hub Stockton, helping with practical jobs and getting to know the people the service supports.
The hub is run by Pioneering Care (PCP), which creates opportunities for autistic adults and adults with learning disabilities to develop skills, confidence and independence.
Honey, handiwork and helping out
During the visit on 7 October, the team helped harvest honey from the site's beehives, ready for sale in its shop. They also repainted an outbuilding before winter, made Christmas decorations from recycled books and moved materials to improve access around the site.
Other colleagues assisted in the café, serving refreshments to visitors. People using the service joined in with the painting, turning the job into a shared activity rather than something done separately for them.
Growth Hub manager Peter Hart said the outbuilding was completed more quickly than had expected, and thanked the volunteers for the work they put in.
UKSBS colleague Tony Milner, who helped organise the visit, described the day as an enjoyable opportunity to give something back to the community.
UKSBS, which has a Stockton office, offers staff three paid volunteering days each year. The team said it hoped to continue supporting PCP's work.
More information about Pioneering Care Partnership is available at pcp.uk.net.