Michelin staff dig deep to support good causes in Stoke-on-Trent

Staff from Michelin joined forces to make a real difference to the gardens and grounds of two charities in North Staffordshire.

Three teams from the company’s Stoke-on-Trent factory selected Dougie Mac Hospice and Father Hudson’s Care ‘Young at Heart’ Project in the city to deliver hands-on support under the Michelin Volunteering programme.

Two teams from Michelin each spent a day at Dougie Mac helping the charity’s gardening team.

Last year Dougie Mac was awarded an It’s Your Neighbourhood Certificate of Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society and Heart of England in Bloom, in recognition of its effort to create a peaceful outdoor space at the hospice for the well-being of patients, families and staff.

Vicki Stephenson, Gardening Co-ordinator at Dougie Mac, said: “Michelin is always very supportive of the Dougie Mac and we value that immensely.

“We are very proud of the gardens at our Blurton site and it was superb to have the teams over for two days to carry out works across the site which have made a big difference.”

Michelin’s staff also spent a day at Father Hudson’s Care Young at Heart project, where 10 workers cleared out an old allotment area to create a welcoming garden space for older people to come together in Shelton.

Young at Heart offers a range of services to combat social isolation faced by older people in and around North Staffordshire. The project runs lunch and social clubs, outings, and a wide range of activities to improve health and wellbeing.

Bonnie Miles – Befriending Coordinator at Father Hudson’s Care, said: “With Michelin’s ten volunteers we made a really good head start getting the garden up and running.

“The space being created will enable socially isolated older people to come along to potter around and do a bit of maintenance. We’re also going to have a talking bench, where people can come sit and have a chat.

“It’s all to help with mental health, social isolation and loneliness, which is debilitating, so help from the team at Michelin is absolutely wonderful.”

Rob Hewitt, the HR manager of Michelin’s Stoke Factory and European Distribution Centre, said: “Michelin has a long-standing tradition of supporting good causes in our local area.

“Both Dougie Mac Hospice and Father Hudson’s Young at Heart project were selected by our staff through our volunteering programme, so they could collectively make a difference to each charity with their time and resources.”