Local Care Home Gives Green Thumbs Up To Students From Sheffield Wednesday Community Programme

A local care home has received a helping hand in their gardens from Sheffield students thanks to a community scheme run by Sheffield Wednesday Football Club.

As part of the ‘Keep Doing Good’ programme the football club runs in partnership with the National Citizen Service, several local students have taken part in a week-long garden project for Anchor’s Herries Lodge care home on Teynham Road in Sheffield.

From Monday, 24 August to Thursday 28 August thirteen students, aged between 15-17 organised and created a series of flowerbeds along the path to the entrance of Herries Lodge, planting  flowers such as tulips and daffodils that will provide future blooms that all visitors, residents and staff at Herries Lodge can enjoy.

In addition to the flowerbeds, the students also identified areas of the garden they could help to maintain to provide a nice aesthetic to the property.

Although the residents did not get the chance to meet the students working in their garden due to the current restrictions, their generosity and dedication to the local community was welcomed and many residents have said how much they look forward to enjoying their newly refreshed garden!

James Rowlett, 87, a resident of Herries Lodge and a gardening enthusiast, said: “What they’ve done to the garden is absolutely lovely! It looks so nice and the flowers will be amazing I’m sure.

“Thank you so much to all the students for being so nice to us and to Sheffield Wednesday as well!”

Sarah Burley, Manager of Anchor’s Herries Lodge, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have such a lovely group help us out like this! The work they’ve been doing in the garden has been fantastic and these projects just put a smile on my face and the faces of everyone at Herries Lodge.

“It just shows how great it is when people come together to do their bit for one another. I’d like to thank the students and Sheffield Wednesday for thinking of us and organising such a wonderful project even during such difficult times!”

Juliet Orton, 16, who helped organise the project, said: “It’s been great working in the gardens at Herries Lodge! We all wanted to just do our bit to help out and give back to our community.

“It’s been quite a tricky summer but finishing it off with a project like this has been fun, I just hope our flowers make everyone here happy!”

Ann-Marie Morgan, who is overseeing the “keep doing good” programme for Sheffield Wednesday, said: “Sheffield Wednesday and the National Citizen Service supports young people to expand their social circles and explore their communities outside of their day to day norms, Keep Doing Good this year, has given the young people the chance to break down barriers between generations and provide a small space for the residents to enjoy the fresh air in their own safe haven during this difficult time.

“This team of thirteen students joins thousands across the nation pledging a small number of hours aiming for 1 million hours of volunteering to support local communities in their hours of need, Sheffield Wednesday Community Programme is proud of each and every one of them and their contributions.”