On Thursday 23rd November a team of 11 people from across Sopra Steria joined forces for a volunteering day, planting trees in support of the Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust.
The Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of green spaces in and around Edinburgh for the benefit of people, wildlife, landscape, and heritage. For over 30 years it’s worked tirelessly to protect and improve the natural environment, promoting the benefits of accessible and sustainable greenspaces for the local community.
Central to its work is supporting people to spend time outdoors, which can greatly improve their mental and physical health and wellbeing.
Planting 104 trees at Silverknowes Golf Course
A Sopra Steria team – made up of colleagues from various teams and departments in Scotland – used one of their three paid annual volunteering days to make a difference in their local community.
The day in Edinburgh started off wet as the team gathered at the Silverknowes Golf Course. The sun broke through in the end, but it didn’t stop everyone getting pretty muddy. With shovels in hand the team planted 104 trees, adding to the city’s green cover and contributing to a more sustainable future.
While hybrid working has become the norm for many, this corporate volunteering day provided an opportunity for colleagues to work together in person towards a common goal – a refreshing change of pace from their usual work routines.
Aimee Mitchell, Client Manager and Employee Forum Representative at Sopra Steria explained: “It was fantastic to spend a day out with colleagues from across our different teams. Hybrid working means we see each other face to face much less often, so a day of volunteering was a great chance to meet up with people from across our Scottish Government, Banking and Transport teams.
“Getting outside, getting muddy and doing good for the local environment was refreshing and it’s great that our organisation encourages us to deliver social value through paid volunteering days each year.”
As the golf course is council owned and always open to the public, team members are already looking forward to visiting again to see how the trees grow over the coming years.