The Lendology team visit ARK at Egwood

Lendology is a not for profit organisation working in partnership with local councils to provide affordable loans to homeowners in Somerset.

The Lendology team approached us as they were looking for a volunteering activity that would offer a meaningful team building experience and the chance to make a lasting impact in one day. So, we put them in touch with ARK at Egwood, a land-based day service which offers a safe, outdoor place where people of all ages and abilities can relax, engage with others and improve their health and wellbeing. 

We caught up with Lendology’s Operations Director, Ellie Lister, to find out what they got up to and how the day went.

“With the pandemic having hit many social events over the last two years, we wanted our team to have time out from the day-to-day and enjoy connecting with each other in a different format, seeing as we have all spent so long in our homes. 

“At Lendology, many of us love being outdoors and so we were clear that our volunteer day should be somewhere really special. We were also inspired by the ethos of ARK and were very lucky that their CEO, Nigel, gave us a tour of the site before we set to work. 

“The day involved lots of coffee and cake, we felt very spoilt! The team at ARK had formulated a clear plan of action – to clear an area of woodland and relay a path with woodchip. The best thing was that we could see the project through in the day, so we left with a real sense of achievement. 

“We were very fortunate that the sun was shining, and just being in nature as a team, everyone picking out the roles they wanted to play and delivering the project outcome in a day. It was a great way to end the week together and wind down! 

“We all left feeling relaxed and closer as a team, and it was great to see everyone working together in a new way. 

“I am not sure any of us knew what to expect as it’s the first time we have completed a volunteer day and none of us had ever been to ARK. I think we were a bit worried about having lots of heavy lifting or starting something that we wouldn’t get to see finished, so as it turned out, the day was perfect! 

“We are already thinking of when we can get over to ARK again and have asked Nigel to let us know when they have a specific project that we can help with.” 

Nigel Bell, ARK's CEO and Director of Business Development said: 

“The volunteering team from Lendology were an amazing asset to ARK for the day. Having a group of energised people supporting with practical tasks means we can undertake the larger jobs on site that have a tendency to keep getting put off due to the other priorities. These groups also enjoy working alongside people that attend ARK, who in return enjoy working alongside them. So it’s a win all round!” 

To find out more about volunteering with ARK, or hosting a team volunteering activity, click on the link below.