Many Ready 4 Action Volunteer Hands Make Light Work

Published on: 2 May, 2016
Updated on: 4 May, 2016

A huge volunteering project involving around 200 young people and adults clearing and improving overgrown gardens and community spaces has taken place this bank holiday weekend across the north area of Guildford.

Organised by Guildford-based Matrix Trust, a Christian charity that works to transform communities, even by the end of day two (Sunday, May 1) 30 tons of waste material had been cleared away.

The annual project is called Ready 4 Action and has run every year over the May Day bank holiday weekend since 2000. The areas that the teams of volunteers were working in this year included Westborough, Park Barn, Stoughton, Bellfields and Bushy Hill.

Dave Slinn and Chris Berry.

Matrix’s director Dave Slinn was hard at work on bank holiday Monday morning clearing undergrowth, brambles, items of rubbish and so on, at the entrance to a footpath that leads off Foxburrows Avenue to the Westborough Trim Trail.

He was being assisted by Chris Berry and the tipper truck they were using (one of several hired for the weekend) was almost full.

The volunteers help to clear gardens, cut back hedges, replace fence panels, and so on, for people who are unable to do it themselves and whose gardens have sadly got out of control.

A team of young people make light work clearing an overgrown garden in Westborough.

A team were fast clearing a garden in Westborough. They had been at it for two hours and already the difference was noticeable. After lunch they expected to tackle two more gardens.

The work they do each year is much appreciated and Dave Slinn explained that cutting back vegetation is not the only work done over the Ready 4 Action weekend.

He said: “We have replaced about 25 fence panels this year, and in total we expect to have completed over 100 jobs at 85-plus homes and in community spots.

“Thanks as always to everyone who has taken part, but also to Darrel Simmonds. He is a builder by trade and has taken part in Ready 4 Action for 16 years, giving up his bank holiday weekend. He co-ordinates the fencing work and any other building-type work we do.

“I must also thank Matrix’s Becky Berry who administers the project. She is just brilliant.”

Tools that the volunteers use were bought from a grant Matrix received from Surrey County Council’s Travel SMART fund, the vehicle are supplied by Kendalls at half price, builder’s merchants Jewson supplied fence panels and other materials at cost price, and Dave also thanked Guildford Borough Council’s Parks and Leisure Services department for its support.

He added: “Some of the parks staff come along and help out as well.”

Click here for more details about Ready 4 Action on Matrix Trust’s website.