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14 apprentices work together with employees in fundraising campaign
A group of fourteen apprentices at GKN Aerospace’s Yeovil site has completed a campaign of activities that has helped staff raise £1250 for St Margaret’s Hospice.
The group of apprentices organised weekly activities on site including a fancy dress collection where they toured the site dressed in a variety of costumes, including a leprechaun and a nun, collecting donations from staff. They also organised a raffle with an extra day’s holiday as first prize and spent a day selling sausage rolls to raise more funds.
Together with a panel of employees the apprentices also worked tirelessly to plan and run a family fun day for employees – with over 200 people coming along on the day. The event was so successful the site plans to make it an annual activity.
At the fun day the apprentices created and ran a very popular stall where members of the management team, their faces appearing through holes in a board painted with a shop floor scene, had wet sponges hurled at them by enthusiastic staff! They also helped run the other activities and took part in a tug of war – with one apprentice’s membership of the England tug of war team giving his side a clear advantage! The day was rounded off with a barbecue and dancing to local band ‘Mid Life Crisis’ – whose singer and lead guitarist, Clive Brooks, is a member of the GKN Aerospace Yeovil staff.
The hospice was also delighted when all 14 apprentices spent a day helping clean and tidy its large garden, carrying out maintenance work, clearing fallen leaves and weeding flower beds.
St Margaret’s Hospice has been providing specialist palliative care, advice, support and respite to patients and their families living in Somerset and parts of neighbouring counties for over three decades.
Louisa Chatting, General Manager, GKN Aerospace – Yeovil, commented: “We are all very proud of the achievements of our young apprentices this year. They have shown real commitment and determination, not only in helping raise this excellent sum of money for such a good cause but also in giving their time directly to the hospice. They have done a fantastic job! This fundraising activity has become a valuable element in our apprenticeship scheme because it teaches the youngsters about working in a team and also about the value of contributing to their local community.”
GKN Aerospace at Yeovil takes on approximately five new apprentices each year. Each year’s intake combines learning practical skills from the expert workforce at the site with classroom studies in Yeovil College’s engineering department. The GKN Aerospace site works closely with local schools to offer work experience placements to students and often sees these work experience students return as apprentices.
Apprentices (left to right at rear) Jamie Clarke, Lloyd Price, Adam Wade, Jack Paterson, George Hunter, Harry Minchington, Oliver Ham, Brandon Brown, Joseph Eveleigh, Macauley Mattravers, Liam Moore, Lewis Lucas-Plowman, Samuel Nicholson, Sam Palmer look on as a cheque for £1250 is presented to (left to right front) Shanti Bygott, Fundraising Administrator and Sheena Cooper, Community Fundraiser from St Margaret’s Hospice by Louise Langley, HR Manager, GKN Aerospace, Yeovil.
GKN Aerospace apprentices give it their all in the tug of war at the family fun day