Willmott Dixon Construction joined our award-winning Gateway Community Garden for a busy social impact volunteering day, helping transform the garden while supporting wildlife, biodiversity and the well-being of the local community.
During the day, an enthusiastic corporate team worked alongside Gateway Community Garden staff and members of the community to design and create a new wildlife-friendly garden using sustainable and natural materials.
Designed as a hands-on learning space, the new garden provides both educational and visual examples of simple, practical ways people can support wildlife in their own gardens. These included planting pollinator-friendly and native plants, creating bee homes and bug hotels, providing drinking stations for birds and insects and incorporating natural materials, wildflower areas and sheltered spaces where wildlife can feed, nest, shelter and hibernate.
The energetic volunteers also created a beautiful new pathway through the ornamental grasses, providing a calm new space for people to pause, reflect and connect with nature. They rolled up their sleeves to weed, harvest, build new furniture and support the development of our new polytunnels.
Their contribution has made a visible and lasting difference to the garden, creating benefits for both the people who use the space and the wildlife that calls it home.
Milly O’Ryan, Assistant Manager, Gateway Community Garden said:
A thriving community garden does not happen by accident. Volunteer days make a powerful difference, transforming the garden in ways that can be seen immediately and creating a welcoming sanctuary for visitors and our local wildlife. We are incredibly grateful to Willmott Dixon Construction for their support on the day. The new garden bed project highlights simple ways to create wildlife-friendly habitats without the need for large spaces or expensive materials. It also gives visitors practical ideas they can take home and recreate in their own gardens, helping to protect local wildlife, support pollinators and encourage greater biodiversity. It was an inspiring day, filled with energy, new connections, shared learning and a deeper understanding of the community and the importance of working together.
Millie May Stabile, Senior Project Manager, Willmott Dixon Construction said:
Despite all the hard work, we all found the day incredibly relaxing. There is something about being outdoors, getting your hands dirty and being surrounded by such a calming space that really does reset you. I am so grateful that Willmott Dixon Construction gives us the opportunity to organise and attend community days like this. We work hard, so being able to step away from our usual environment, spend time with colleagues and do something genuinely positive for the community is hugely rewarding and, as we discovered, pretty good for us too!
We would like to thank Willmott Dixon Construction for their kind donation and the gardening tools that were gifted to the garden.
Discover the latest opportunities for your organisation and staff to support our work, strengthen community impact and help create brighter futures across Surrey through volunteering, sponsorship, fundraising and team engagement activities. Visit – Corporate Partnership Opportunities – Surrey Care Trust.
Give a little each payday and make a big difference for people across Surrey with Payroll Giving.
"I would absolutely recommend making use of volunteering leave. It’s a valuable opportunity to step away from routine work pressures, connect with the wider community, and do something genuinely meaningful."
Surrey Care Trust’s Gateway Community Garden is delighted to unveil a fantastic new space, the Makers Corner, bringing to life a long-awaited project within our award-winning community garden in Reigate.
Supporting local communities through impactful, long-term collaboration with corporate partnerships.
Thank you to Sarah Gorrell for inviting us to talk about our Gateway Garden and the amazing support we've had from the National Garden Scheme!
