The M&S team at the newly opened Foodhall located in Bridgewater Retail Park, Banbridge recently opted for a change from serving customers, swapping Percy Pigs for paintbrushes. Supporting Business in the Community’s employer-supported action week, a team of five volunteers from the M&S Banbridge Store were joined by representatives from Praxis Care in transforming an outdoor space allocated to service users at a local Praxis Care facility.
Gareth Williamson, Relationship Manager, Business in the Community NI, commented: “It’s fantastic when businesses really want to reach into the heart of the community they are operating within and provide practical support. As well as making a real difference to the Praxis Care service users, our group of volunteers from M&S Banbridge are also enhancing their skills and improving their ability to work as a team.”
Ian Cardwell, Volunteer Manager, Praxis Care, continued: “Praxis Care is the largest social care charity on the island of Ireland.
“Our service provides innovative, professional and high-quality support services to individuals across the spectrum of need. Volunteers have been a key element of the support we provide since we were founded and we are delighted that the M&S Banbridge team were keen to do their bit to enhance these services. We know that time spent outdoors is beneficial for mental health and we are grateful to M&S Banbridge for giving the people we support an even more beautiful environment to enjoy.”
Evan Mackay, M&S Banbridge Store Manager added: “M&S Banbridge is new to the local retail landscape and, having recruited 70 staff from the local area, we really wanted to get involved in an initiative that not only impacts those that require support from Praxis Care, but also our staff. I have no doubt that this is the first of many projects that our team will want to be involved in.”
