Sunderland Echo

Volunteers get into team spirit

- By DAVID ALLISON david. allison@ northeast- press. co. uk Twitter: @ davidallis­on88

VOLUNTEERS took a step back in time at a heritage museum’s annual festival.

Ten customer service advisors from EDF Energy’s Doxford Internatio­nal Business Park, Sunderland, joined a 50- strong team in traditiona­l 1913 dress at the annual Beamish Agricultur­al Show, in County Durham.

Volunteer Marc Lofthouse organised for his work team to visit the historic attraction as part of the EDF Energy Helping Hands scheme, which encourages workers to support community and voluntary projects. He said: “This was a great opportunit­y to be involved in something different and to help out one of the region’s best attraction­s.

“Beamish is a great place to learn about the history and culture of the North East, so we were enthusiast­ic to support the annual agricultur­al fayre.

“We got to help with a variety of different activities that were going on throughout the day, including tending to the animals, speaking to visitors and helping out with games.”

The EDF Energy Helping Hands programme lets all 1,800 employees at Doxford to take up to two days paid leave every year to volunteer in the community.

Samantha Mason, from Beamish who organised the agricultur­al show, said: “The EDF Energy Helping Hands team really got in the spirit by wearing traditiona­l dress and weren’t shy to help out with anything we asked of them throughout the day.”

 ??  ?? HERITAGE VOLUNTEERS: Staff from EDF Energy in Sunderland at Beamish’s Agricultur­al Show.
HERITAGE VOLUNTEERS: Staff from EDF Energy in Sunderland at Beamish’s Agricultur­al Show.

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