Digital team apprentice Abira tells us about the Digital Team’s volunteering day away.
We spent a day volunteering at Deen City Farm on the Wandle Rain Garden project in Colliers Wood. The 'Wandle Rain Gardens' project reduces flooding and creates habitats for local wildlife along the Wandle River, and Deen City Farm is adding guttering and storage tanks to the bird enclosure to collect and make use of rainwater.
The aim of the day was to begin creating a 'rain garden' to collect excess rainwater from storage tanks to prevent flooding.
We started the day digging up and moving the earth where the rain garden will be planted, learning to operate a wheelbarrow and, using our artistic license, arranging the displaced flowers in new flower beds.
Hearty portions of baked potato and tea from the farm's 'Barn Owl Cafe' fuelled the second half of our day spent clearing plants, shredding branches. And, when all the work was completed we got to see the animals and hold a baby goat.
As a local resident of Colliers Woods, I know about flooding problems with the River Wandle and the lack of activities for families in the area, so the day was especially rewarding for me; I saw how the farm engages young people through visits, educational tours and- of course- volunteering.
Despite the challenging manual labour, we found the day relaxing and was an opportunity to escape the business of the city and our computer screens.
Amidst the factories and residential blocks, the urban farm stands juxtaposed: a little green haven filled with the oddly comforting sounds of chickens and pigs, that anyone can visit free of charge.
We left the farm that day with a sense of closeness, achievement and the knowledge that we needed to go to the gym more often!