Garden centre staff pull on walking boots for charity
Employees from Tong Garden Centre are getting ready for an 18 kilometre walk to raise funds for their chosen charity of the year.
A team of 11 colleagues from the Bradford-based business are planning the charity walk around Lake Ullswater in the Lake District to raise money for The Cellar Trust, a Shipley charity that helps people recovering from mental health problems to get back into work.
The walk will take place on September 2 and the idea came from the centre's marketing assistant, Pete Casci. He will be walking along with colleagues Katie Young, Lee Parnham, Claire Spencer, Catherine Westmoreland, Jemma Jones, Sharon McNair, Diane Farrar, Janice Astbury, Phil Hemmings and Chris Hope and the team hopes to raise £2000.
"We're really looking forward to pulling our boots on for the trek in the Lakes as it's such a beautiful area to walk in.
"We've got a good spread of staff from departments including catering, customer services and retail representing the Centre, so it's a real team effort.
"Everyone has been preparing by going on locals walks and also spending time in the gym, so we'll all be raring to go when the day comes."
The Cellar Trust started life as a project in the mid-1980s when a social worker wanted to help people with long-term mental health problems back into employment.
The charity provides tailored support to help people in the Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven to move forward and get back into work.
The team at Tong are aiming to raise £10,000 for the Cellar Trust this year. They became aware of the work the Trust does when they employed former client Dion Magyar to the team last year.
