6th September 2018
Barking & Dagenham College students showed their community spirit by volunteering to clean up the grounds of one of the borough?s most famous attractions.
Valence House is a medieval manor house, partially surrounded by a moat, which is situated in Valence Park off Becontree Avenue. The grounds of the timber-framed building that now houses a museum were in need of a tidy-up.
Students Ajay Philips, 17, and Omega Chibuzo Findoro–Obasi, 18, assisted heritage ranger, Roisin Barrowclift, and regular conservation volunteers at Valence House in clearing up the grounds.
The pair helped to clear a very overgrown and neglected area behind Valence House that overlooks the moat, working hard to clear brambles, weeds and broken glass.
Ajay and Omega were participating in the vInspired scheme – the UK’s leading volunteering programme, enabling young people to make social impacts in their local area.
The college runs a 6 month vInspired course for local 16-25 year olds which focuses on the environment and how you the young people can make positive change in their local surroundings.
Participants learn vital skills, like teamwork and problem-solving, helping to prepare them for their future. They also get to make a positive contribution to the local community by carrying our voluntary work; previous projects have involved things such as clearing undergrowth and litter near the borough’s ponds and canals.
Find out more about the programme.
