Volunteers power through makeover for children's disability charity

A South Gloucestershire charity supporting children with disabilities has been given an outdoor spring makeover by more than 40 hard-working staff volunteers.

A team from our Gloucester depot turned their hands to gardening and DIY at Gympanzees in Aust as part of a staff volunteering programme.

Gympanzees provides access to play, exercise and friendship to help children and young people with disabilities improve their physical health and mental wellbeing.

As well as tidying and refreshing the grounds, the NGED team also sanded and painted railings around the charity’s centre to make it more welcoming.

NGED team leader Martin Wiggall said: “We had an amazing two days volunteering at the new Gympanzees facility. The days brought the whole team together and it felt great to give something back to the charity! We will definitely be looking to go back in the future.”

In addition to volunteering time, we’ve also helped fund equipment for the Gympanzees lending library, which provides gym, therapy, soft play, and sensory equipment for families to borrow and trial at home for four weeks.

Emily Thorn, Gympanzees’ assistant operations manager, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to the amazing team from National Grid Electricity Distribution for generously volunteering their time at Gympanzees and for their kind donation in support of our lending library.

“From gardening and tidying to painting railings and mapping out rooms, their hard work has helped make our site brighter, safer, and more welcoming for everyone. Thanks to their support, we can continue providing vital equipment through our lending library, making a meaningful difference to children and young people with disabilities — and to families across our community."