Charity

Vistry staff volunteer at day centre for the elderly in Bishop’s Stortford

- 01 Jun 22

Staff members from housebuilder Vistry Group gave up their time to volunteer at Age Concern Bishop’s Stortford during Mental Health Awareness Week (9 to 15 May). Eight employees from the company’s Eastern region spent the day painting garden furniture and weeding the outdoor area at The New Apton Centre, where the organisation is based, on Wednesday 11 May. Vistry Eastern is building new homes under its Bovis Homes brand at the Stortford Fields location off Hadham Road in the town. Age Concern Bishop’s Stortford runs a day centre for older people aged 55 and over. With seven staff members and 30 volunteers, the group aims to combat loneliness among older people by offering an environment in which they can make friends and connect with the wider community. The centre offers a variety of activities, such as bingo, seated exercise, and dance, with transport being provided for those attending the sessions. Annabelle Caley, centre manager for Age Concern Bishop’s Stortford, said: “We often struggle to find the time to complete certain tasks, so Vistry’s generosity to help has been much appreciated. It is wonderful to receive help and introduce new faces to our community. “Combating loneliness amongst the elderly is so important to us and it is extremely rewarding seeing the difference it makes to them. One of our attendees recently turned 89 and chose to celebrate her birthday at Age Concern with her friends. This was so uplifting for us and a reminder of the positive impact we are making in these people’s lives. “We strive for a personal connection with all our attendees who we refer to as our lovelies and have had some volunteers offering their services with us for 20 years now, so it really is a close community of people. “Being mainly voluntarily run, we appreciate all the help we can get as we often have shortages of volunteers, so Vistry’s support has been so helpful, and we are so thankful.” Jason Colmer, sales and marketing director at Vistry Eastern, said: “Mental health is an issue which is extremely important to us as a company. Our nominated charity this year is Papyrus, an organisation which works to prevent suicide among young people, and we were keen to do something to mark Mental Health Awareness Week in one of our communities. “Because of the excellent work they do in combating loneliness among the older generation, we reached out to Age Concern Bishop’s Stortford to see if there was any way we could support their activities. The day of volunteering was an extremely enjoyable and rewarding experience for our employees, all of whom were heartened to know that their efforts will provide a real benefit to the people who attend the day centre.” For more information about Vistry Group, visit vistrygroup.co.uk.