Luke – a software engineer at Yoti – has found a healthy escape from his screen-heavy work life through volunteering in The Hospice gardens. With his company generously offering five annual charity days, Luke took advantage of this scheme by opting for half-day shifts, allowing him ten opportunities to contribute to the community this year.
“I mainly work from home at a computer nine to five, Monday to Friday, so I was looking for something to get away from the computer screen,” Luke explains. Drawn by the opportunity to work outdoors, he chose The Hospice for its gardening role – a perfect antidote to his otherwise sedentary work routine.
Despite having no prior gardening experience, Luke quickly became the “muscle in the garden,” tackling physical tasks like clearing dead plants and hauling compost. “I’m just happy to help where I can and it’s certainly cheaper than going to the gym,” he adds with a smile, appreciating the physical activity and the cake breaks with colleagues.
Having only relocated with his young family from a London flat to Berkhamsted just a year ago, Luke admits he was initially unfamiliar with The Hospice’s wider role in the community beyond knowing the Hospice shop. As he said, “My wife used to work at Great Ormond Street as a paediatric nurse. So, I think she knew more about it than I did!”
But now, Luke encourages others to volunteer, “They're a friendly team of people here and you don't need any experience to be able to jump straight into this. I feel like I can see my changes to the garden already.” So, if your employer offers any corporate charity days, why not use them to try something new, boost your wellbeing and give something back?
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