Toyota (GB) Teams Dig Deep to Support Environmental Action at our Gateway Community Garden

Toyota (GB)  came to our award winning garden for two days of hands-on volunteering, supporting the garden’s ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability while creating positive change for the local community.

Each group brought plenty of energy, enthusiasm and a willingness to get stuck in, taking on a range of projects designed to improve the garden, support wildlife and make better use of existing resources.

As part of the garden’s wildlife-friendly planting campaign, the teams carefully relocated lavender plants to the garden’s Narnia space, helping to create a beautiful sensory area while also providing an important source of food for pollinators. The Toyota (GB) volunteers also continued landscaping an area where the garden’s new polytunnel has now been sited, helping to prepare the space for the next stage of Gateway Community Garden’s development.

Sustainability was at the heart of the volunteering days, with the teams upcycling existing furniture to help preserve and extend its use and created a new bug hotel, a valuable habitat for insects and other wildlife and helping the garden to further encourage biodiversity.

Our garden has been awarded funding from the Toyota Community Fund, which supports local projects that deliver positive social and environmental impact. The funding will support our Roots to Resilience project at the award-winning Gateway Community Garden, helping to create new wildlife-friendly planting areas, bug hotels, a shaded community space and a sensory garden. Working with disadvantaged young people, families and adults across Surrey, Surrey Care Trust will use these enhancements to promote wellbeing, build resilience, encourage social inclusion and create opportunities for volunteering, skills development and community engagement.

Kish Laungani, Specialist, Sustainability Programmes – Toyota (GB), said:

It’s fantastic to see our colleagues volunteering their time and energy to support Surrey Care Trust’s Gateway Community Garden. From creating wildlife habitats and improving green spaces to upcycling materials and preparing the site for future development, every activity contributed to a project with lasting environmental and community benefits. These volunteering days not only helped enhance a valuable local resource but also provided an opportunity for colleagues to come together, learn new skills and make a meaningful difference. We are proud to support initiatives that bring communities together while creating positive impact for both people and the environment.

Milly O’Ryan, Assistant Manager – SCT Gateway Community Garden, said:

A huge thank you to Toyota (GB) for all their support, commitment and amazing donation. The heat at times made the working conditions particularly hard going, so plenty of hydration breaks were needed! Despite the challenging conditions, we all achieved so much! SCT is always incredibly grateful when new corporate partners choose to work alongside our amazing charity. Gateway Community Garden are continuing to develop as a welcoming community space, with environmental sustainability, wildlife-friendly planting and opportunities for people to connect with nature at the heart of its work. Corporate volunteering provides an opportunity for businesses to make a tangible contribution to their local community while supporting environmental projects, developing teams and creating meaningful social impact.

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