20 Jun 2008 - GE Money at Chiltern Open Air Museum

A 100 strong team of employees from finance company GE Money Home Lending swapped their e-mails and meetings for spades and shears for a day and completed several much needed projects at the Chiltern Open Air Museum.

The team from the company’s Croxley Green and Harrow offices split into several groups to tackle a range of tasks under the guidance of Museum Director Sue Shave and her staff and volunteers.

Sue said: “What they have achieved is marvellous. We were able to get some jobs done in a day which would have taken us weeks with our team of regular volunteers.”

The volunteers carefully uprooted a fence and moved it across a field to protect hay from grazing sheep, varnished rare farm vehicles, tidied up the museum entrance and cleared waste ground in preparation for a new building being installed.

"It was a very enjoyable day, hard work, but I didn't mind because our efforts were very much appreciated by the regular volunteers at the Museum", said Martin Wells of GE Money Home Lending.

The museum which is visited by thousands of people every year relies on volunteer help to maintain its collection of rare and ancient buildings.

Robert Bradshaw of the Volunteer Centre said: “When GE Money approached us to help find them something to do I was able to contact members who could handle that number of volunteers.  This has to be the largest group of volunteers we’ve had.

“We are being approached by more companies who would like this sort of positive and worthwhile away day for their employees.

”The Volunteer Centre is in touch with so many charities that we can match up needs and wants quickly.”

GE Money Home Lending not only allowed staff time to come and help the museum but donated the materials and laid on lunch.

The team enjoyed their day so much they are already planning the next.

Diane Endersby of GE Money Home Lending said: "I would highly recommend this – it was a fabulous day and we were glad we could help especially on such a worthwhile project. Thanks to COAM for having us."

Companies looking to organise community away days for their staff are welcome to contact Three Rivers Volunteer Centre on 01923 711174 for more details.