Community Archives - Integrated Skills https://www.integrated-skills.com/category/community/ Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:41:23 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://www.integrated-skills.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/cropped-Favicon-32x32.png Community Archives - Integrated Skills https://www.integrated-skills.com/category/community/ 32 32 Volunteering 2025 https://www.integrated-skills.com/volunteering-2025/ Wed, 28 May 2025 11:21:09 +0000 https://www.integrated-skills.com/?p=8291 After it was announced that Integrated Skills would become an EO, we scrambled to get an understanding of what that meant. Apart from a couple of legal requirements, the canvas was blank. Speaking to other EOs it became clear that there is no specific format to it. We decided to set up a quarterly forum, […]

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]]> After it was announced that Integrated Skills would become an EO, we scrambled to get an understanding of what that meant. Apart from a couple of legal requirements, the canvas was blank. Speaking to other EOs it became clear that there is no specific format to it.

We decided to set up a quarterly forum, a bit of a Town Hall event where everyone would join and submit proposals or raise queries with regard to Employee Ownership. If a proposal was practical, affordable and supported by a majority of the team, it would be put forward to the management board for consideration.

During one of our first EO forums, one of our team members suggested introducing a Volunteering Day. An opportunity to give something back to our local communities but not at the expense of our well-earned annual leave. Many of our team had already offered their time and expertise in charitable circumstances.

This was hastily passed up the chain of command and swiftly authorised.

So, armed with approval and buckets of enthusiasm, our teams began scouring charity, non-profit and local government websites to find volunteering opportunities. Independently, our Leeds and Melton Mowbray teams sought projects where they could volunteer as a group. In 2023, the Leeds team helped rebuild a bridge on Otley Chevin with Leeds City Council Countryside Rangers and our Melton Team joined the Leicester City Council Park Rangers clearing overgrown vegetation and maintaining a habitat for bees and other wildlife.

Skip forward to 2025, and both teams once again found group activities to engage in, and even more coincidentally, on the same day!

Our Leeds team met with Toby, a ranger from Wade’s Rangers, a charity associated with Leeds City Council at Gotts Mansion in Armley. They would then tackle an overgrown garden, sow new seed, plant new bulbs and clear any waste that had been tipped in the area.

Toby has a vast, deep understanding of horticulture and shared valuable insights with the team throughout the exercise about when and where different plants grow best.

Our Melton Mowbray went out with Leicester City Council, Parks and Open Spaces Team.  We took a boat through a few locks and out to near Thurcaston Road Bridge, then worked back along the canal towards Abbey Park.  Along the way catching floating litter and pulling out rubbish caught in the vegetation alongside the water.  Anything organic such as coconuts, pineapples and other religious offerings were left as they will naturally decompose.  There was an awful lot of drinks bottles and cans, and numerous plastic bags to be collected. Unusually this stretch of canal is the responsibility of the council to keep clean. Whilst making our way back to Abbey Park, our starting point we saw Moor Hens with chicks and a pair of Swans amongst the usual ducks.

 

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]]> Building bridges in our community https://www.integrated-skills.com/building-bridges-in-our-community/ Tue, 06 Jun 2023 15:33:35 +0000 https://www.integrated-skills.com/?p=6005 Community Bridge Building Integrated Skills

On Friday 2nd June 2023, our team in Leeds joined Leeds Countryside Rangers on Otley Chevin Forest Park.

We engaged Leeds City Council Countryside Rangers in order to offer ourselves for a volunteering exercise, expecting to undertake some litter picking, but we were presented with a unique opportunity; replacing a footbridge on Otley Chevin.

The original bridge, whilst still functional, was beginning to wear and rot. We took our tools, supplied by the Countryside Rangers, and tore it up, being careful to remove and dispose of the nails safely.

integrated skills community project bridge building: Original Bridge

After some deliberation, with great care and detailed planning, we installed the joists that would support the new bridge, considering it's new position against the stream's banks and accounting for the new, longer slats. The new slats would provide a wider berth for the bridge, which meant our joists would be spread wider than the previous build. To keep the bridge relatively flat, we took initiative with the nature available to us, implementing rocks and mud from the banks of the stream to level our joists.

Integrated Skills community project bridge building in progress with volunteers

Once we were satisfied with the joist-placement, we found that with every breath, something seemed to go out of place. Attention to detail was key, so armed with a number of tape-measures and a spirit level, we set about securing the joists to a set of pikes, measuring and balancing between between every action.

Integrated Skills community project bridge building: Securing the joists

Now that the joists were secured and quite ceremoniously celebrated, it was time to lay the slats. In order to deliver the safest platform for walkers, the slats would have to be laid with a small gap between each. These gaps would allow for irrigation of water, mud, fallen leaves and other slip-hazards.

Integrated Skills community project bridge building: Laying slats

Integrated Skills community project bridge building: Finshing off.

Meticulously lining up the slats before screwing them to the joists. We were very pleased with the outcome, as was Emma, our Countryside Ranger. We hope to get involved again!

Integrated Skills community project bridge building: Bridge built!

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]]> Community Bridge Building Integrated Skills

On Friday 2nd June 2023, our team in Leeds joined Leeds Countryside Rangers on Otley Chevin Forest Park. We engaged Leeds City Council Countryside Rangers in order to offer ourselves for a volunteering exercise, expecting to undertake some litter picking, but we were presented with a unique opportunity; replacing a footbridge on Otley Chevin. The original bridge, whilst still functional, was beginning to wear and rot. We took our tools, supplied by the Countryside Rangers, and tore it up, being careful to remove and dispose of the nails safely. integrated skills community project bridge building: Original Bridge After some deliberation, with great care and detailed planning, we installed the joists that would support the new bridge, considering it's new position against the stream's banks and accounting for the new, longer slats. The new slats would provide a wider berth for the bridge, which meant our joists would be spread wider than the previous build. To keep the bridge relatively flat, we took initiative with the nature available to us, implementing rocks and mud from the banks of the stream to level our joists. Integrated Skills community project bridge building in progress with volunteers Once we were satisfied with the joist-placement, we found that with every breath, something seemed to go out of place. Attention to detail was key, so armed with a number of tape-measures and a spirit level, we set about securing the joists to a set of pikes, measuring and balancing between between every action. Integrated Skills community project bridge building: Securing the joists Now that the joists were secured and quite ceremoniously celebrated, it was time to lay the slats. In order to deliver the safest platform for walkers, the slats would have to be laid with a small gap between each. These gaps would allow for irrigation of water, mud, fallen leaves and other slip-hazards. Integrated Skills community project bridge building: Laying slats Integrated Skills community project bridge building: Finshing off. Meticulously lining up the slats before screwing them to the joists. We were very pleased with the outcome, as was Emma, our Countryside Ranger. We hope to get involved again! Integrated Skills community project bridge building: Bridge built!

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