Food staff get their hands dirty
A company that makes frozen meals closed for a day so its staff could help families who have been affected by trauma, abuse or neglect.
Almost 200 employees from The COOK Kitchen travelled to West Farleigh to undertake gardening and decorating for Dandelion Time, the Kent Messenger’s charity of the year.
Instead of preparing pies and cooking casseroles, colleagues divided into 10 teams, taking on a different task each.
One group created a large patch, where volunteers will grow wheat so families visiting Elmscroft House in Charlton Lane for therapy can make bread together from home-milled flour.
Other volunteers created a circular walkway through the woodland, redecorated rooms in the former farmhouse, cut back hedgerow and did other gardening and tidying up.
Graham Carpenter, Dandelion Time’s chief executive, thanked the employees and said: “The gardening and clearance projects were undertaken with great enthusiasm, with the whole site full of busy people enjoying a great day out together.”
Ed Perry, co-founder of COOK, which sells meals across the county, said: “We are very proud to be able to support such a wonderful charity.
“Not only does it support such a worthwhile cause but it connects our people with our purpose in a direct and meaningful way.”
Go to www.dandeliontime.org. uk or call 01622 814001 to find out more about the charity, including how your business can take part.