Staff from the Bristol office of commercial property specialist Colliers International have spent a day away from the office making a difference at Horfield Common.
It was the second successive year that they left their office at Temple Back for a day to undertake improvements at the common in north Bristol, as part of Colliers International’s commitment to contribute positively to the communities in which the business operates.
The work, which was carried out in conjunction with the Friends of Horfield Common community group, included installing fencing to create a new wildlife garden as part of the Friends’ five-year wildlife and biodiversity plan, which has been developed with Avon Wildlife Trust as part of the ‘My Wild City’ project.
Volunteers from Colliers International helped to maintain the 0.4km of new hedgerow planted by FoHC volunteers over the winter 2015, and helped to refurbish a shipping container at the Cafe on the Common, a community business set up by the Friends’ group to provide an indoor seating area.
They also worked with members of the Ardagh Shed Men group – a project for older men in the local area – to make bird and bat boxes to support delivery of the wildlife plan, as well as making planters and furniture for the Ardagh gardens which are being reinstated by volunteers from the Friends’ gardening group.
Tim Davies, head of the Colliers International Bristol Office, said: “This day of volunteering at Horfield Common enabled our staff to build upon the work that they undertook last year, while also continuing to engage in the community in which we are based.”
Sam Thomson, chair of the Friends of Horfield Common, who co-ordinated the project along with vice-chair Fiona Wright and FoHC volunteers, commented: “We are incredibly grateful to Colliers International for their efforts. Their work has allowed us to accelerate significantly the work we’re doing at the Common, particularly in delivering our new wildlife and biodiversity plan which local volunteers have been working hard to develop over the last two to three years.
“It is wonderful to see the new wildlife garden already taking shape and to have help to look after the new hedgerows and gardens. The whole group worked incredibly hard – hats off to them! The efforts of Colliers staff to support us is really appreciated by the local community. We are delighted to have been able to host the group for the second year, and look forward to working with them again.”
