On 7 June, Cabrini House in Orpington was awash with volunteers from HSBC UK who helped with the first stages of a garden transformation funded by the Co-op.
As part of Volunteers Week, Diagrama welcomed a group of volunteers from HSBC’s UK Commercial Banking team to Cabrini House, their home for adults with learning disabilities in Orpington to work on the first streps of a makeover for the charity’s outdoor space.
The bank’s Southeast London Business Team spent the 7 June volunteering at the three residential houses that form Diagrama Foundation’s Cabrini House with tasks including gardening, building fences and painting.
Sharon Christmas, HSBC UK Area Manager, said, “Volunteering for Diagrama was a great day. We really enjoyed it and it made it even more enjoyable having the residents to help us.”
Lisa Canfield, Business Specialist at HSBC UK Bromley, and Dartford, said, “Volunteers and residents collaborated to build and paint a fence out of pallets, and filled pots and hanging baskets with beautiful flowers. We loved seeing how happy the residents were and really appreciated their help and the opportunity to get to know them. It was a welcome change from being sat in an office all day even when we were hindered by a huge downpour!”
Claire Morlham, Manager Cabrini House said, “What a fabulous day the residents and staff had. We are so lucky to have a large area of garden and the volunteers have certainly helped us to reclaim unusable space that we will be able to enjoy for years to come. We cannot thank them enough for giving up their time”
The Cabrini garden project is currently part of the Co-op Local Community Fund and the Diagrama and HSBC teams were delighted to be joined on the volunteering day by Co-op Member Pioneer, Jenny Collins.
The Co-op fundraising initiative is still open and Co-op shoppers can support the Cabrini House project through this link https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/60910
If you would like to participate in future volunteering days, please email ceri.pearce@diagrama.org
About The Diagrama Foundation
The Diagrama Foundation is a Kent based charity that supports vulnerable children, young people, and adults to live their best life.
Diagrama has a Supported Living Service across Bromley, three homes for adults with learning disabilities in Orpington, a 50-bed care home for the elderly with nursing and dementia needs in Essex, and a fostering and adoption service covering the southeast.
- The Supported Living Service, cares for 35 adults with learning disabilities, in nine homes across Bromley helping them to develop skills and confidence to live in their own house either on their own or with others.
- At Cabrini House in Orpington the charity promotes the development of core skills for adults with learning disabilities so that they can lead independent lives integrated within their community.
- The team at their nursing and dementia care home Edensor in Clacton on Sea, support their vulnerable residents to live life to the full.
- The Diagrama adoption and fostering service cares for children in South London, Kent, Hampshire, Sussex, and Surrey.
Many vulnerable children and adults don’t get the support they need to develop their true potential, but the Diagrama team know that when someone has time and belief invested in them, they come alive, because that investment has made them feel valued and worthy.
