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Bupa volunteers take a walk on the wild side
11 November 2003
A team of eager volunteers from local health and care company, Bupa International, had an all-day appointment with the ‘great outdoors’ on 4 November to help the Sussex Wildlife Trust. The day saw the volunteers swap their desks and PCs for sensible shoes and gloves, as they flexed their muscles to help the Sussex Wildlife Trust in their work to preserve the landscape and wildlife of Stedham and Iping Common, near Midhurst. The area is a nature reserve and site of special scientific interest.
The team of 10 from Bupa International gained important team building skills, while helping to protect the environment. Thanks to the recent rain, the team worked in muddy conditions to cut down and clear trees and shrubs, which are highly invasive and can smother heathland plants.
Mark Monk-Terry, reserve officer at the Sussex Wildlife Trust, who led the team at Bupa International said: “It was a very physically demanding day for the team, but it proved to be lots of fun as well. The task would have taken place come rain or shine, but the team was lucky with the weather. We are very grateful to the volunteers who helped to do their bit to protect this important habitat and I hope they found the experience rewarding.”
Bupa’s Community Connections team, which recognises, assists and supports all the good work already being done by Bupa people in their local communities, provided appropriate clothing and refreshments.
Managing director of Bupa International, Bill Ward said: “Bupa International is fortunate to be based on the Sussex Coast, surrounded by outstanding countryside. We were looking for new ways to approach corporate team building, particularly with a view to doing something for the local community at the same time. We have sponsored the Sussex Wildlife for two years and we are delighted that our staff have volunteered to take part in such a worthwhile cause.”
Reserve officer, Mark Monk-Terry, at the Sussex Wildlife Trust, said: “The area we were working in is very beautiful. The heathland landscape encourages the growth of heather, gorse, purple moor grass and Scots pine. The habitat attracts a variety of insects including digger wasps, rare field crickets, silver-studded blue butterflies and birds such as the Nightjar and Dartford warbler. Hopefully the team will have learned a bit about these creatures while they worked.”
As part of Bupa International’s sponsorship support of with the Sussex Wildlife Trust, last autumn a team of volunteers helped to clear land at Amberley Wildbrooks, near Arundel to protect the habitat of the area’s winter wildfowl.
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