Mission possible! In Volunteers’ Week, a team of community super-heroes assembled for a morning of volunteering, taking on the mission of greening up a patch of land in need of some TLC. Here at VAC we help people connect with and do good in their community – and we were so pleased to see so many community-minded people step up to help out by taking on the  challenge at Alderman’s Green Industrial Estate, Potters Green.

At 10.30am precisely, armed with litter picking grabbers, bin bags and gloves, our litter-picking task force began. Our team included volunteers from the local area alongside participants from  VAC’s Improving Lives Volunteering course. The Industrial Estate is a well-used area, popular with residents as a route to the adjoining Wyken Slough nature reserve – a vital natural environment where they can access some fresh air and have a walk in beautiful surroundings. By the end of the session, over fourteen bags of rubbish were filled, and the area which was previously bogged down by litter looked much better.  

Free hot drinks were kindly donated by ‘Caroline’s Snack Van’ who has been serving the Industrial Estate for 25 years and felt inspired on learning what the community-spirited team were up to. The task force finished off with a visit to Coventry City Mission, a local charity offering a variety of much-needed support such as a pay-as-you-feel-café and food bank.

Francesca Middleton, Volunteering Coordinator for VAC, explains why she organised the day:

“Here at Voluntary Action Coventry, we’re all about championing volunteering – we help people to engage with their community to build the future they want to see and the neighbourhood they want to live in. Huge thanks to all our volunteers for giving up your time to step up – we’ve had an amazing time and the results need to be seen to be believed.”