A group of directors and senior managers from West Cumbria’s Shepley Group rolled their sleeves up at a local social enterprise.

The team of eight, which included two managing directors, visited Grow West at Allerby Garden Centre to help the social enterprise create a ‘green gym’.

The gym, part of a national scheme promoted by The Conservation Volunteers encourages people of all abilities to take part in free outdoor activities such as planting trees, sowing meadows and establishing wildlife ponds, while getting some exercise and improving their physical and mental wellbeing.

Nick Houghton, Shepley Group managing director, Gavin Jakubowski, operations director, Mark Denham Smith, commercial director, David Henderson, nuclear business manager, Robin Stanger, group EHS&Q manager, Iain Greeney, decontamination specialist, Alan Bowes, senior project manager and Graeme Phillips, West Cumberland Engineering managing director got involved in the challenge.

Shepley Group has supported the establishment of the Grow West Green Gym financially via its Endowment fund with Cumbria Community Foundation.

David said: “After visiting the site it was apparent there was a lot of manual work needed to help get it kickstarted.

“We decided that we should supplement our financial support with some elbow grease too! It was quickly agreed our senior managers to step up and literally get their hands dirty to help out.

“We were really lucky with the weather and we enjoyed an afternoon of graft.”