As is the case for many people in today’s working world, the Student Administration team at Leeds Trinity University spend most office hours sitting at a desk and working from home, often alone at screens. However, a recent team-building volunteering day offered a fantastic opportunity to come together and enjoy each other’s company.

A group of 23 spent the day at Lotherton Hall, an Edwardian country estate encompassing beautiful woodland, ponds, meadows and orchards. It was a beautiful setting for our away day, and we were delighted that we could help make a difference to a Leeds landscape.

Leeds City Council Parks and Countryside Service, who manage 4000 hectares of green space across our city, showed us the ropes of our designated woodland tasks. Whilst the initial sight of the tools including axes and loppers was a little nerve-racking, we were soon on with the challenge after some training and a safety briefing from our very helpful and knowledgeable Ranger Louise, who was on hand to help us out throughout.

First up was removing plastic tree guards from established trees and hedges. Whilst initially applied to protect growing trees, if left in place for too long they can cause issues such as hindering growth – so they had to go.

Elsewhere, woodland flora was in a struggling state due to high footfall, so we set out to extend a dead hedge to screen off a section, using branches to create a habitat corridor and discourage people and dogs from walking on the area. Fence posts went up, stakes were hammered into the ground, logs were foraged…who would have guessed we’re a group of office workers?

After being shredded by brambles and spiked with splinters in peak allergy season, the team and I were particularly grateful when the time came to enjoy a picnic lunch in the sun. We even ventured over to the zip wires in the grounds of Lotherton Hall for a few races, which took us right back to our childhoods. The work wasn’t over though, so, shovels at the ready, off we went to relocate woodchip in the afternoon heat.

After all our efforts, an end of day wander around Lotherton Wildlife World provided time to reflect on what was a really rewarding day. As a team, we felt a strong sense of pride and achievement at making a difference. 

We resisted the temptation to join Wildlife Word’s resident Humboldt penguins in a very inviting looking pool on such a warm day and headed home past the deer parks with new skills learnt and happy memories made. 

Leeds Trinity University offers staff the opportunity to take two days off per year for volunteering activities, a fantastic offering which also benefits the local community as well as helping us to develop new skills, get us moving and away from our screens. I encourage others to take the chance to have a day away from their usual routine – it was really enjoyable to spend time in a completely different setting and reconnect with colleagues not seen too often. I think everyone really benefitted from it, and I’m sure others would too. 

Lucy Whitehead is an Assessment Administrator at Leeds Trinity University.