Helping to create a sensory garden for Holt Park Active Centre, Leeds

Our Mitie colleagues were proud to volunteer as part of a team that created a sensory garden for Holt Park Active Centre.

When Ralph Thoresby School received a lottery grant, they had a vision of using it to benefit the local community. They partnered with the Adult Social Care unit at Holt Park Active Centre, Leeds, to create a sensory garden that would provide a peaceful and interactive environment for students and community members, especially those with sensory processing challenges.

A combined team effort

The project was a collaborative effort that involved various stakeholders, including Mitie, Hyde Park Resource, Leeds City Council, and Aire Valley. Mitie played a crucial role in supporting the project, both financially and practically. This included covering half of the cost for the garden’s gate (totalling £1500) and contributing 80 hours of voluntary labour. 

Helpdesk operatives, engineers, and contract managers from our Local Government and Education sectors were pivotal in carrying out the work.

Our contractor, Aire Valley, also generously waived the installation fees for the gate and provided volunteer labour. Work on the project included cleaning the external walls, replacing and painting the garden benches, restoring the garden path, pruning plants and flowers and replacing damaged grass. A pergola was fixed to provide shade and structure within the garden.

Creating a positive community impact

The project finished in a grand reveal in July, where the Mayor of Leeds officially opened the sensory garden to the public. The event featured speeches from representatives of Adult Social Care, Ralph Thoresby School and the Mayor of Leeds, highlighting the collaborative efforts and the anticipated positive impact on the community.

The power of collaboration

This project is a great example of the power of community collaboration and the effective use of funds to create lasting, beneficial spaces. We’re proud of our involvement in this project and we congratulate everyone who contributed to its success.

Our ESG commitments and strategies are always evolving, to make sure we’re best supporting our customers and communities. You can read more about our progress in our latest ESG report, which takes a deep dive into our environment, social and governance strategy and the progress we’ve made so far.