AO helps with Bolton community allotment garden

A team from Online electricals retailer AO visited Rawlyn Road Allotments to volunteer under a company scheme where employees can swap two days at their desk to do some volunteer work.

AO also partnered with Brown Recycling during one of their ‘Make A Difference’ days and donated a skip.

One section of the allotment site is used as a community garden, which is run by volunteers from Bolton GP Federation, along with Age UK Bolton and Bolton Wanderers in the Community.

As well as providing a valuable green space in the community, it is used to grow fruit and vegetables, which they can take home to cook and eat.

During their visit, the AO team learned about the need for a skip to help with clearing debris and general rubbish.

And the AO facilities team got involved and spoke to their regular skip provider, Brown Recycling, who arranged for an eight-yard builders’ skip – usually costing £250, to be delivered to the site free of charge.

Trish Goodwin, who works as a volunteer for Bolton GP Federation and helps to run the community garden, said: “We’re absolutely over the moon. I was in tears when I found out.

“The AOers were incredible when they visited during their Make a Difference Day – they did a week’s worth of work in about two hours!

“The garden reopened for the first session of the year a couple of weeks after they came, and everyone was overwhelmed. They couldn’t believe what people had done for them.

“We’re so grateful to them for all their help and we also want to say a massive thank you to Brown Recycling for making this happen.”

Robert Powell, Facilities Manager at the AO headquarters in Middlebrook, said: “When we found out what they needed, I knew we had to make it happen.

“Brown Recycling have been kind enough to donate the skip and they have been absolutely amazing from start to finish. As soon as we spoke to them, they were more than happy to help."