Member Article

Wates leads charge to transform Hull memorial

A memorial garden in Hull has been transformed into a peaceful place of remembrance thanks to a team from Wates Living Space.

Volunteers from the affordable housing contractor were joined by members of Hull City Council and Rainbow Community Garden Group to remove overgrown plants and rubbish in Oppy Wood, Cottingham.

The wood was created in 2004 as a dedicated place of remembrance in tribute to the ‘Hull Pals’ who died at Oppy Wood, France, during the First World War. A memorial erected in their honour is located in the woodland.

As well as removing rubbish, the team created a raised flower bed around the memorial and planted poppy seeds from Flander’s Fields in France. The work also saw the volunteers improve the entrance of the wood by clearing away overgrown plants, laying a pathway and installing logs to create natural seating for visitors.

The team took part in the tidy-up as part of Wates’ annual Community Day (Friday 15th May), which saw 2,000 employees nationwide donate a day of their time to make a tangible difference to the communities in which they are working. This year, local projects across the UK received over 8,000 hours of Wates’ time.

Mick Holling, Interim Regional Managing Director for Wates Living Space, commented: “Our annual Community Day is a perfect opportunity for Wates to lend a hand to support local causes and we’re pleased to have been able to work together with the Council and volunteer groups to transform Oppy Wood. Everybody got stuck in and the result is a cleaner, tidier garden for the public to enjoy and a fitting place of remembrance for the ‘Hull Pals’.”

Councillor Julia Conner, Ward Councillor for the area, added: “Having clean and tidy communities is a key priority for the council and it was great to see ourselves and our community partners come together and make a positive change to this beautiful area. I would like to thank everyone involved as it has made a huge difference and is now a peaceful area for people to visit, enjoy and remember.”

Wates Living Space is currently on site delivering the £80m Extra Care PFI scheme across three locations in Hull, including Harrison Court, on Hall Road. Hull City Council officially revealed the name earlier this month after Hull FC rugby league star Jack Harrison, who died in service in World War One.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Wates .