Change-Makers: Planting4Hartlepool

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Coronavirus has affected us all differently. And for Erin, Jessica and the Planting4Hartlepool team, they wanted to share the love and brighten up the days of care home residents in their local community. 

“We all came to the decision to give thanks to care home residents and workers as they have been affected very hard by this virus. We wanted them to know they hadn’t been forgotten” said Jessica. 

To give thanks, the team decided to donate a bit of colour and nature, by creating #shrubsntubs - small trees in decorated planters. They delivered the trees to different care homes in the communities.

Jessica explains, “we were kindly donated trees by a local charity - The Joseph Rowntree Foundation - to give out as a thank you token.” The team then drew pictures like rainbows and cheeky monkeys on the planters, along with thank you messages before giving them out. 

But they didn’t stop there. The team also got in touch with the residents at Voyage Care Home. 

“We wrote letters to Voyage Care Home” explains Erin, “the six women staying there enjoy receiving mail, as it makes them feel not cut off from the outside world as much.”

In total, the team donated 30 trees to different homes around Hartlepool and really brightened up the residents’ days!

And as for Erin and Jessica? They hope it will “make people smile for all the hard work and sacrifice they’ve had to do, and give residents and workers something positive to look back on.”

Great work all round!

WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHERE YOU ARE?

If you want to get involved in volunteering and social action but don’t know where to start, why not join one of our Local Action Groups?

And if you’ve already taken part in a social action project that you’re proud of, let us know! Tell us all about it here.

The young people photographed are from the same bubble.