Hackney City Farm Volunteer Day
On Friday 15 August 2008, 14 willing volunteers from Nabarro went armed with wellies and waterproofs to Hackney City Farm to take part in the first Nabarro in the Community volunteering day since the recent re-launch. The weather was unexpectedly on our side and with the sun shining down on us we donned our wellies and prepared to get stuck into the farm work. After a quick tour of the farm, we were split into three groups with one group in charge of hedge cutting, one group assigned to light carpentry and one lucky group given the enviable task of shovelling and spreading manure.
In wonderful, peaceful surroundings and with the farm animals looking on, we turned enthusiastically to the tasks in hand. The renowned Nabarro team-working skills were on full display with the manure team quickly organising themselves into shovellers, wheelbarrow handlers and muck spreaders, and before we knew it a seamless operation was in place with a shovelling to spreading changeover time that would have left the British 100m relay team lost for words. The hedge cutters performed a similarly sterling job, managing to tame the entire front entrance to the farm and provide a tasty dinner for the farm animals without a single injury being sustained or a single Ralph Lauren shirt being damaged. The chair sanders, after initial confusion as to how this constituted a farmyard activity, showed a budding talent for carpentry and sanded down enough chairs to fill a large conference hall. All of this with the added hazard of numerous chickens running underfoot! We were therefore not surprised when the farm's volunteering co-ordinator told us that we were the best volunteering group they had ever had at the farm.
The day really was a great success and made a huge difference to the farm as well as everyone having a fantastic day out. We all left tired and smelly but with smiles on our faces and a great sense of satisfaction.
