Member Article

Employees dig deep for older people’s charity

Eight green-fingered volunteers from The Right Fuelcard Company (TRFC) have put their backs into a charity gardening project as part of a Leeds-based company’s commitment to the local community.

TRFC - an independent distributor of Shell, Keyfuels, UK Fuels and Esso fuel cards - encourages its staff to get involved with good causes, with all employees given a day off each calendar year to provide practical help or raise funds.

The latest fundraising venture saw the team dig deep to help improve a community centre garden run by Older People’s Action in the Locality (OPAL) charity based in Leeds 16 which supports older people to live happy, healthy, informed lives in their own homes. The community has faced anti-social behaviour and vandalism in the past, but since the opening of OPAL’s Community Centre, local residents say they feel a lot safer.

The TRFC team laid the groundwork to transform the neglected garden surrounding the centre into a safe and welcoming relaxation area, which will also be used for therapeutic activities.

TRFC business director, Adam Walsh, said: “Well done to the team who persevered in relentless rain to enhance everyone’s enjoyment of the garden. OPAL is a fantastic charity which reduces the loneliness and isolation of 700 people.”

OPAL’s CEO, Ailsa Rhodes added: “The Right Fuelcard team gave their time over to doing digging and weeding in the worst weather conditions you could wish for. They worked hard, were enthusiastic and motivated all day and they made a real difference. We can’t afford gardeners at our community centre just yet, so are reliant on volunteer help such as this. It was an added bonus that they were such lovely people too.”

TRFC, which was ranked 33rd in the Sunday Times Best 100 Small Companies to Work For in 2016, prides itself on its commitment to local charities.

The community centre garden work was the first in a planned series of TRFC visits to OPAL with the next ‘Ground Force’ day scheduled for April.

For more information on OPAL: www.opal-project.org.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by The Right Fuelcard Company .