Helping Herrington Scout Group with a Garden Refresh

When Herrington Scout Group in Sunderland needed help sorting out their outdoor space, we volunteered to get stuck in.

Over three months, a group of us from Troo gave our time to help clear, tidy and protect the garden areas around their HQ.

Why it mattered

Most local youth groups rent space in church halls or community buildings. Herrington runs its own premises. That means as well as giving up time to plan activities for the young people, their volunteers also handle all the cleaning, decorating and maintenance.

The garden had become overgrown, and outdoor furniture needed care. It wasn’t urgent, just one of those jobs that kept falling down the list. We had people willing to help, so we did.

What we did

Across three full volunteer days, our team got stuck in with clearing, tidying and treating the outdoor areas. We:

• Cleared overgrown spaces and tidied the garden
• Treated benches and outdoor furniture to help them last longer
• Helped create a cleaner, more welcoming space for young people and other community users

A note from the Scout Group

They sent us this message once the work was done:

“Just a short message to convey our thanks and gratitude to everyone who did such great work in our Scout HQ gardens… Having your team on site to carry out the gardening and preservation treatment of our outdoor furniture has been most helpful!

I would like to thank all involved in your group who have done such good work at our HQ from our Group Trustees, Leaders and of course our young members (and the other groups who use our facilities as a base) …Well Done!!”

Living our values

Being helpful isn’t just something we say, it’s something we do. Whether we’re guiding a customer through energy decisions or giving time to a local group that needs support, we believe in showing up and making things easier.

This project reminded us what it means to be part of a team and part of a community.