UK Power Networks, which owns and operates electricity networks across the South East, sent a team of 16 volunteer employees to spread around 70 tonnes of muck, install gateposts for new fencing, clear overgrown areas and refurbish the Club’s new meeting room.
Cobtree Young Farmers’ Club, which has around 25 members aged between 10 and 19, meets weekly at the heritage farm attraction Kent Life and manages a small range of livestock including 12 cattle, 20 sheep and 6 pigs.
Mark Essex, a project manager for Connections at UK Power Networks, commented: “I run the Young Farmers’ Club on the site and we’re always glad of extra help as we don’t have any external funding so have to be self-sufficient.”
“I run the Club and take overall responsibility for it,” continued Mark. “The young volunteers we have come in every Saturday, not all of them are from a farming background, but have an interest in it either as a hobby or a potential career. We have had former members who have gone on to become shepherds, dairy farmers and three who have become vets”.
“It was a great team-building exercise and I’m really grateful to my UK Power Networks colleagues for giving so much to the day, in what was very hot weather,” concluded Mark. “The Club were really appreciative of everyone’s efforts because the work done in a day would have taken us months to complete ourselves, it’s really made a positive difference”.
UK Power Networks gives staff two days paid leave each year to volunteer or fund raise in their local community. Last year its staff gave over 2,700 hours to good causes through the company’s volunteering scheme.
