National Memorial Arboretum gets helping hand from local National Grid team

The Arboretum, a registered charity located on the edge of the National Forest, is part of the Royal British Legion and serves as tribute to those who have served and made sacrifices for their country. The 150-acre site provides a year-round space for remembrance and reflection, celebrating lives lived and commemorating those lost in service.

With over 25,000 maturing trees and more than 400 memorials, the Arboretum has become an inspirational living landscape freely open to all since its opening to the public in 2001.

The team of volunteers from National Grid’s Stoke depot undertook various tasks to enhance the Arboretum’s facilities. The team cleaned plaques and dedicated memorial stones, as well as tidying a number of the dedicated gardens.

National Grid Electricity Distribution has recently launched a new employee volunteering programme to provide nearly 14,000 hours of community engagement a year. The new scheme is aimed at its 6500 workforce who are based in the Midlands, South West and South Wales, ensuring that staff have the opportunity to share their skills, experience and time in the communities they proudly serve.

Matthew Edwards, Team Manager at National Grid Electricity Distribution’s Stoke depot, said: “The Arboretum is poignant for me and a few of my team as we are Veterans from different Armed Services. Charities like the National Memorial Arboretum eagerly welcome support from volunteers to help maintain the beautiful landscape they have created in memory of those who have given their life for this country. The whole experience was really fulfilling, reading plaques and understanding the sacrifices people made.”

Emma Syer, Business Development Manager at the National Memorial Arboretum, said: “When National Grid offered to spend a day volunteering onsite at the National Memorial Arboretum, we were incredibly grateful. As a registered charity, it’s only possible for us to continue to run and maintain our site with the support of our visitors, partners, Friends, and donors.

“Our team love welcoming corporate volunteering groups to the Arboretum, and it was great to work alongside National Grid team members, sharing more about the Arboretum and why their support matters. We hope the team enjoyed their experience and look forward to welcoming them back soon.”