Here’s a great example of one of our Thorpe Park employers helping out the local community, writes Trina Elkington, Senior Managing Consultant at IBM, Thorpe Park.

An enthusiastic team of Leeds volunteers, led by Secretary Jo Ettenfield, armed themselves with paint pots and brushes to smarten neglected outbuildings on the Temple Newsham Estate in East Leeds as part of this year’s IBM On Demand Community Challenge (ODCC).

Only 5 minutes drive from Thorpe Park is the historic estate of Temple Newsam. The estate is managed and maintained by Leeds City Council, and is set within 1500 acres of parkland, woodland and farmland which was landscaped by Capability Brown in the 18th century.

Whatever the weather
Despite torrential rain, the nine volunteers worked throughout the day prepping, undercoating and painting the numerous barn doors, windows and gates of Temple Newsham’s Home Farm outbuildings.

Jo says: “The most challenging part of the project was the weather but, although it was extremely wet, we managed to adapt and complete the project.”

The Home Farm organisers were delighted with the volunteers’ enthusiasm and effort - it surpassed all their expectations. They were so pleased they have invited the IBM team, together with their families back to the Estate to showcase their work.

The team comprised: Chris Quinn; Martin Watson; Chris Watson; Trina Elkington; Emma Miller; Kate Robinson; Helen Ruta; Kevin Prime; and Jo Ettenfield.

Trina concludes: as a member of the IBM ODCC team, and a local resident it was lovely to be able to give a little back to the East Leeds community. We helped a local organisation, made some new friends within our own team (most of us had never met before), and it really was a fun day.!

IBM runs it’s On Demand Community Challenge annually and aims to benefit local charities and organisations in the community. The Temple Newsam event was just one of over 100+ challenges IBM supported throughout the UK To learn more about IBM's corporate citizenship: ibm.com/ibm/ibmgives