Totally Stoked facilitate exciting CSR opportunity for local construction companies to revive local community hub garden

Following a devastating break-in, The Hub Fenton was in need of some help to bring their much-loved garden back to life. The treasured garden has provided a safe space for visitors for some years, a place to relax and enjoy the fresh air and nature, or just for a quiet moment.
The Hub Fenton is a thriving community venue used by many members of the local community, people of all ages and backgrounds. From Junior Police Cadets and youth groups, to cooking workshops and exercise classes. It is a crucial part of the community, especially for vulnerable residents who may be lonely, socially isolated, lack confidence, or have a learning disability.
With the garden unsafe for the community to use and enjoy, Hub Manager Carole Kind contacted VAST for some support to help them to create a garden to be proud of, either through a corporate social responsibility (CSR) opportunity or through fundraising initiatives.
The most important part of the regeneration though was to ensure that the space was safe for visitors and fully accessible.
“Ideally the garden needs to be accessible for motorised scooters,” said Carole, “with a small area to park up and sit with other people, but any help we could have to make it look better would be wonderful.”
Enter CSR experts, Totally Stoked…
Reaching out to local corporate businesses, Galliford Try, a leading UK construction firm and current contractor for Stoke-on-Trent City Council, stepped up and enlisted the help of one of their subcontractors, Keble Heath Construction. These companies had previously carried out a CSR project with VAST revamping the courtyard at the Dudson Centre in the Summer of 2021 and they had also helped to fund winter community support packages with The Hub Fenton and a handful of other voluntary groups in the area.
This garden project sounded like the perfect opportunity to help a local community group restore a vital part of their premises and to support the business’ own CSR initiatives. It was a perfect fit for both companies’ ethos and workforce skills.
Mark Whitfield, Contracts Manager at Galliford Try said: “Galliford Try prioritise delivering positive lasting change and giving something back to the communities in which we work every day,” and it was an instant decision on the initial site visit: they were all-in. The companies agreed there and then that they would love to give their support. Meetings would take place quickly to get the project underway, the sooner the better.
“Galliford Try jumped at the opportunity to help out The Hub Fenton after learning that their gardens had been vandalised. The Hub is massively important to the local community, and it is only right that they have an outdoor space that they can be proud of.”

Totally Stoked made sure that all necessary agreements and paperwork were in place, relevant permissions were sought within the community, and the project was good to go—and good to go it was.
On 26th April 2021, a team of five from Galliford Try and Keble Heath arrived on site and got stuck in. Inside The Hub, Carole and her volunteers continued to deliver their groups and workshops as normal for their regular visitors, while outside it was all hands on deck.
Over two days, the garden was transformed from a run-down, tired-looking area to a beautiful retreat for everyone at The Hub to enjoy. Broken tarmac roughly covered with bark became newly landscaped fully accessible areas. Broken planters were replaced and filled with fresh new plants as well as an area for a mini allotment.

Carole and The Hub’s volunteers were over the moon with the end result: “We are delighted with the improvements,” said Carole, “many thanks to you all for your support and generous contribution to our centre. It is going to make a huge difference to us during the coming months and for many years to come.”
At the end of the two days the dedicated workforce, thoroughly fed and watered by a grateful Carole and her team of volunteers, was pleased with the result and it was even more special knowing the importance of the area and how it will benefit the users of the venue.
John Lowe, Keble Health Site Foreman said: “It was great to be involved in a project that will make a such big difference to users of The Hub.”
Charlie Cooper, also from Keble Heath said: “It is heart-warming to hear of the wonderful service provided by volunteers at the Hub. Hopefully these improvements will help them enrich customer experience here. We would like to thank DEH Hire and KP Parnell for their generous support in helping us deliver the scheme”
Totally Stoked works across Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire and can facilitate CSR opportunities to help support local charities and community groups. To find out more about how Totally Stoked do this, please click here.