HSBC volunteer wins £1,000 for West Sussex charity

“I wanted to spend the day here because it is local to me. I’ve been many times with my daughters and use the plant nursery. They make a real difference to the people they support ensuring everyone has a choice and lives an independent life.  I had such a wonderful day”.  Said Melissa Wilcock, HSBC Hampshire.  


Many charities rely on the support they receive from corporate volunteers, so the Aldingbourne Trust were delighted when Melissa choose to use her HSBC annual volunteer day to come and help out on the farm.


“Melissa was an amazing help and really got stuck in with all the daily tasks.  She helped with mucking out the top fields in the morning, then later cleaned out the guinea pig hutches, and even got involved in a goat health check and hoof trim!  She had a really positive attitude and interacted brilliantly with the people we support at the Country Centre” said Jon Corke, Farm Manager.


Vicky Mearns, one of the people supported by the Trust said, “Melissa was really friendly, I really enjoyed working with her”.


As part of their corporate volunteering scheme, HSBC have an Employee Volunteering Competition, which Melissa was delighted to win as it meant she could make a donation on behalf of HSBC to the Aldingbourne Trust.  As she enjoyed her time on the farm, she has requested that the £1,000 goes towards helping the farm to continue to improve their facilities.


“I spent the whole day outside on the farm with the animals and the wonderful people who work there. The highlight for me was meeting the lovely people, some of them were really shy when I first met them, but I've made new friends and got to spend an enjoyable day in the fresh air! I'll definitely return” said Melissa.  


To find out more about Aldingbourne Trust and their award winning charity that supports adults with learning disabilities and/or autism to live independent lives, please visit their website www.aldingbournetrust.org.