Work colleagues volunteer to help restore Swindon canal

A total of 10 employees from UK Shared Business Services (UKSBS) spent a day volunteering with the Wiltshire & Berks Canal Trust.

The team helped with vital conservation work along the historic waterway.

The volunteers took part in a range of practical tasks, including hedge clearing, towpath preparation, habitat maintenance, and fencing and bank repair support, working alongside the Trust's own team of volunteers near Kingsdown Road.

The Wiltshire & Berks Canal Trust is a charity dedicated to restoring 70 miles of canal and towpath for the benefit of local communities, wildlife and leisure users.

Once complete, the restored waterway will bring economic benefits through new canal-related businesses, improved health and wellbeing through safe, accessible routes for walking, running and cycling, enhanced biodiversity through well-managed green and blue spaces, and flood alleviation by channelling excess rainwater away from homes, roads and farmland.

Kinga Harman from UKSBS said: "It was a fantastic experience from start to finish.

"We helped clear old branches and vegetation from the canal path, and it was amazing to see what an organised group of volunteers could achieve in just six hours. 

"The pathway was transformed into a cleaner, safer, more welcoming space for local families and visitors to enjoy."

The team also took a boat trip along the canal, learning about the Trust's work with more than 40,000 volunteers nationally who support restoration and construction projects.

Sean Westrupp, another UKSBS volunteer, said: "I got to try things I'd never done before, visit somewhere new, and despite the hard work, the laughs and shared experiences made the day fly by."

As part of its commitment to community engagement, UKSBS offers all employees three paid volunteering days each year, which colleagues can use individually or as a team to support a charity or cause of their choice.

 For more information about the Wiltshire & Berks Canal Trust and how to get involved, people can visit wbct.org.uk