Sorce and Alertacall volunteers transform gardens

As part of our 70th anniversary year, we invited our corporate partners to get involved with local Abbeyfield services by taking part in volunteering and community projects across the country.

Teams from Sorce and Alertacall kindly gave their time to help transform the gardens at Abbeyfield Winnersh dementia care home, Abbeyfield House in Barnoldswick and Abbeyfield House in Stockport, creating welcoming outdoor spaces for residents to enjoy over the summer.

Sorce, a Reading-based technology company that has provided Abbeyfield’s intranet since 2020, was keen to get involved and chose to support Abbeyfield Winnersh in nearby Wokingham. Alertacall has been supporting Abbeyfield House since last year, providing Housing Proactive® touchscreens which improve two-way digital communication and allow residents to report repairs and receive news and updates.

The teams spent a day at each location getting stuck into a range of gardening jobs, including mowing lawns, weeding, pruning, planting, putting together garden furniture and jet-washing patios. At Winnersh, the Sorce volunteers also created a lovely fairy garden for residents to enjoy.

Thanks to the volunteers’ hard work, the gardens were refreshed and ready for a busy summer of activities and events. Residents were really pleased with the results and have since been making the most of the improved outdoor spaces, whether relaxing, or spending time with others.

Louise Huguenot-Bhatti, Programme Manager at Sorce, said, “We had a fantastic day helping at Abbeyfield Winnersh. The staff made us feel incredibly welcome and it was especially lovely to meet some of the residents and hear how much they enjoy spending time in the garden. We'd be delighted to come back in the future, continue the work and build on those relationships.”

Phil Chatterton, Head of Customer Success at Alertacall, said: "We wanted to support Abbeyfield's 70th anniversary celebrations in a way that would make a lasting difference for residents. Gardening was a fantastic opportunity to create an outdoor space they can enjoy throughout the year, while giving our team the chance to spend time with residents and support the local community.”