Volunteers Week 2023; Port of Dover volunteers lead five inspirational community projects this year.

21 people have stepped away from the office for a day to get their hands dirty and help out with some feel-good, outdoor initiatives that had a huge impact on local organisations and their communities.

From improving recreational gardens and flower beds at a museum, school and charity, to looking at ways we can protect habitats and biodiversity in and surrounding the local river and a wildlife park, employee volunteering has been a hugely satisfying achievement for everyone involved.

Jenny Beacon, Community and CSR Executive at the Port of Dover said:

“We all have a role to play in supporting our community and I’m really proud of all of our teams that have made such a huge difference to these organisations through these important projects.

The Scheme also gives us a great sense of personal achievement, enabling us to exchange skills, ideas and experiences in an active, relaxing and positive environment, improving our own mental health and wellbeing”.

Julie Gayler, CEO at the Martha Trust, said:

 “The kind support we have received from the Port of Dover makes a huge difference to a charity of our size, particularly in the current challenging financial climate. It was also a lovely opportunity for our residents to meet the volunteers and see first-hand how beautiful they made the gardens look.”

A roundup of the volunteering projects:

The Martha Trust – Six volunteers tidied up the flower beds for residents and their families, including re-planting and protecting some of the raised beds with wood stain. A carpentry project to build a new planter was also completed.

Langdon Primary School – Walker Construction UK Ltd joined one of our colleagues to help dig out foundations (by hand) and fill with cement in preparation for the brick base of a new greenhouse.

The Powell-Cotton Museum – Two people repaired several rotting picnic benches and got them ship-shape ready for the summer visitors.

River Dour – one team member took part in the Water Crowfoot translocation project also known as ‘the experiment’, to re-establish a key plant species up stream, helping to oxygenate the water and regulate flow.

Wingham Wildlife Park – 11 volunteers took part in a project to preserve plants by fermentation. The team started to fill the 200 barrels needed for giraffe feed throughout winter, called silaging.

If you are an organisation with a project that the Port of Dover Volunteering Scheme can support, we would love to hear from you, please submit your details here.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• The Port of Dover is closing the gap every day between the UK and the world by connecting trade, travel, visitors and communities locally-globally, collaborating with local and international partners to create a more seamless, sustainable and tech-enabled port.
• As the UK’s busiest international ferry port and a vital gateway for the movement of people and trade, Dover handles £144 billion of trade per year, 33% of UK trade in goods with the EU and welcomes over 11 million passengers.
• Dover is also an award-winning cruise port, delivering world class travel and visitor experiences to the most prestigious cruise lines. With a growing and diversifying cargo business operating from state-of-the-art facilities, a brand-new marina which is a major feature of the exciting waterfront development, and opportunities for further expansion in the future, Dover’s proud history dating back 400 years has a new modern twist.