TCV’s story may have started at Boxhill in 1959, my story began at a Hospital in South Yorkshire planting bluebells in a woodland.
I don’t think until this point I remember planting anything before, but keen to impress in my new job I got on my hands and knees with a trowel at the ready. In a haze of pure excitement, I neglected to listen to the instructions from the Project Officer. Off I set with my new friend a regular volunteer who had been supporting TCV for the past 9 years and I was keen to learn from them.
Whilst chatting and planting I was completely engaged by my new friend’s story of how coming out with TCV had completely turned his life around giving him a sense of purpose and pride within his local community. I wasn’t paying much attention to the bulbs that I was planting but I was going pretty quick.
It was at this point that the Project Officer came to check on our progress and swiftly he informed me that I had planted at least 100 bulbs upside down…!
Red-faced and hugely apologetic I started to rectify my mistake but with huge amounts of encouragement from the team.
I guess on my first day it confirmed what my mum had said to me all her life, ‘more haste, less speed Amy!’
Over the past 6 years, I have learned so much from this charity it’s people, beneficiaries and their commitment to helping conserve our precious green spaces for future generations. I’m so proud to work for an organisation that really does make a huge difference to people’s lives and community green spaces.
Sadly, my daughter is much like me but we’re learning together, from the bumper crop of pumpkins last autumn to her recent Jack and the Beanstalk project for school.
Thank you TCV for igniting my love of the great outdoors I look forward to another 6 years.