The Whiteoaks team were back in action last week, setting out on the third task of the year alongside our chosen charity, WellChild.

WellChild is a national charity that helps sick children and their families across the UK. Whiteoaks has been actively supporting its Helping Hands scheme, where volunteers from UK businesses take on projects in the homes of families with sick children who most need help.

I was joined by commercial director Suzanne Munton, project manager Pippa Turner and finance manager Sharon Hope as we headed to South London, tasked with revamping the garden of a family with two young children who suffer from a range of disabilities such as autism, dyspraxia and Tourettes. The boys certainly have plenty of energy, but the garden needed a major overhaul to make it a safe place for them to play.

And while we weren’t exactly ‘Ground Force’, what we lacked in horticultural talent we certainly made up for with effort! By the end of the day, the four of us, alongside WellChild project manager, Lee, had transformed a run-down, overgrown area of garden into a bright, colourful and safe place for the two children to play.

The great thing for me was that, after a day of hard graft, we were able to see the children arrive home from school and the excited reaction they had when they saw the dramatic change.

It was a tough day of ripping out old decking, weeding and flattening the ground, painting fencing and designing a pretty impressive wall mural, (with more than a little help from Lee).  But it was all worthwhile when we saw the two children charging round their new-look garden on glow-in-the-dark space hoppers, and just how grateful their mother was as a result.

And that is what working with WellChild is all about for everyone at Whiteoaks. We know that by giving up just one day in the office to take part in these projects, we are making a huge difference to a number of children with disabilities and really enriching their lives.

We are all aware that there are plenty of people far less fortunate than ourselves, but working with fantastic charities like WellChild really does help to change people’s lives and it is something that I would encourage other companies to get involved in too.

Oh, and if team building exercises are your thing, then covering your colleagues in dirt and paint while you work ticks that box as well!

Chris Harris