PAula Levett

What were you looking for from a team building session and why did you choose the Farm?

We started running Company Volunteering Day’s last year as part of our employee benefits package. This was a direct result of suggestions we got from our employees in our annual Staff Survey back in 2022 that providing volunteering days was something the majority of staff were keen to see introduced. Spitalfields City Farm was our second Company Volunteering Day and we chose it after we had a brainstorming session with our staff: everyone was keen to do something outside - as we spend our working days sat at desks staring at screens! – and there was an overwhelming interest in doing something with animals. After some online research, we chose Spitalfields Farm as it was very central to where we’re based in London, and we’d also had a personal recommendation from an employee who had visited the farm previously and gave it a glowing report 😊.

How was your experience on the day and what activities did you do?

Our day at the Farm was fantastic, and actually it started months before our visit, as we’d had great exchanges with the Farm since we first approached them in June about spending a day with them. From our initial enquiry to the actual day, everything was great. As the organiser for our team, I felt 100% confident that everything would go fantastically, and I was not proved wrong. Sam was great in helping to get the day booked in and letting us know how the day would run. And when we turned up for our Farm adventure, Emma and Connor were fantastic as our hosts;  answering all our questions with passion and knowledge and humouring some of our stranger requests 😊. Activity wise, we did everything from mucking out pens, sweeping footpaths, cutting back rosehip bushes, picking pumpkins, feeding the goats/donkeys/sheep, packing & labelling seeds, weeding some aggressive nettles (!) and walking the animals from their day pens back to their night time digs.

How do you think the Challenge Day benefitted your team?

Being able to get out of the office for the day and help out another small enterprise (we’re a small not-for-profit organisation ourselves, so we fully understand how key any type of support can be!) gave us all such a huge sense of accomplishment. When we left the Farm everyone was smiling - and maybe a little sore - with great stories to share on the commute home. A week on, and we’re still talking about things we did and stuff we learnt during the day, and some of the team are even looking into becoming volunteers at the Farm once vacancies open up.  

Anything else you’d like to add?

If you ever get the opportunity to spend any time at Spitalfields City Farm – be that volunteering with your team, by yourself, or just popping by for a visit – DO IT! You won’t be disappointed!

What will your day look like?
Download our information pack or ask us about your challenge now