The event was supervised by the environmental regeneration charity Groundwork on behalf of the East London Business Alliance. They worked with London First and the "Volunteer to Win" campaign.
On the day, a team of 47 employees, contractors and suppliers travelled up to Hackney Marshes in East London. It started to snow as the coach pulled out of the Camelot car park, and at Hackney Marshes a fierce wind was blowing from the East.
Groundwork’s Urban Tree and Woodland Officer briefed the rather apprehensive group, split them into five teams and set them to work.
Two groups went off to plant trees, one group began mulching the land to preserve the nutrients in the soil around the trees, another went into the woodlands to cut trees, and the fifth group built a seed bed.
As one participant said, "We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. This task benefited the local community and also helped with team bonding and spirit. Plus, I'm sure that all that fresh air did our lungs a world of good. It was great to have the opportunity to work with colleagues and to put our co-operation, delegation, leadership and motivation skills to good use."
Looking back on the day, Richard Hurd-Wood, our Director of Bid and Strategy, said: “This was a fantastic opportunity for staff to get behind the London Olympic bid and at the same time benefit from team-building within a different environment. Today has helped increase employee morale, given everyone a sense of achievement and enabled us make a difference to the community.”