Supporting Local Community: BWB Team Volunteer Day 2026

Giving back to the community has always been one of BWB’s core values, whether that’s through connecting with neighbouring businesses, supporting local initiatives via the BWB Community Fund, or volunteering our time. This March, our team spent a day at West Berkshire Community Hospital, helping prepare their therapy garden for spring and contributing to a space that plays a meaningful role in patient wellbeing.

West Berkshire Community Hospital, located in Newbury and part of the Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, is the closest hospital to our headquarters. It provides a wide range of services including renal dialysis, radiology and diagnostics, day surgery, outpatients, and chemotherapy. For many of our team, it is the hospital that supports their families, friends, and wider community, making this volunteer day especially meaningful.

Why Therapy Gardens Matter

The hospital’s therapy garden, created in 2014, is designed as a calming outdoor space where patients, families, and staff can relax, socialise, and enjoy fresh air in a safe and welcoming environment. It features accessible seating, a greenhouse, flower planters, a wildflower meadow, and a fruit and vegetable patch. Much of its upkeep relies on volunteers, many of whom are local residents or retired hospital staff who generously give their time each week.

Research consistently shows that spending time outdoors has profound benefits for both physical and mental health. A 2023 review from the article on the importance of outdoor environment for recovery found that exposure to green spaces is linked to better sleep, lower blood pressure, reduced risk of chronic disease, and improved mental health, including reduced anxiety and rumination.

For patients, the impact can be even more significant. A 2023 scoping review published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health concluded that gardening, contact with nature, and access to safe outdoor environments can meaningfully support recovery, particularly for individuals with mental health conditions. These environments were shown to improve mood, social connection, and autonomy, key components of personal recovery.

Similarly, research by NHS Charities Together in 2023 found that 80% of people feel healthier and more energetic after spending time outdoors, and patients recovering from stroke or dementia reported that access to green spaces provided essential emotional relief and supported their rehabilitation.

These findings reinforce why spaces like the therapy garden matter, and why volunteering to maintain them has a direct, positive impact on patient wellbeing.

Our Day in the Garden

After a short tour, our team quickly got to work transforming the garden for the season ahead. Tasks included sanding wooden furniture ready for repainting, weeding block paving, pruning, composting, mulching, and general tidying. What began as a chilly morning soon turned into a warm, sunny day filled with teamwork, conversation, and plenty of manual labour.

We also had the pleasure of meeting the garden’s regular volunteers, some of whom have been supporting the hospital every Monday for years. Their dedication to maintaining the space, from mowing and pruning to planting new bulbs, was truly inspiring.

The Role of the BWB Community Fund

Our Managing Director, Hozan Edwards, shared: “We were genuinely pleased to support our local hospital as part of our annual team volunteer day. It’s a valuable opportunity for us to step outside of the day-to-day, connect with the community around us, and give something back in a practical and meaningful way.”

He continued: “As an SME, and with the majority of our team living locally, it’s important that we actively engage with and support the charitable organisation and community around us. That’s exactly why we launched the BWB Community Fund in 2024, to encourage and enable people to spend more time outdoors and to support initiatives that make a real difference locally. Volunteering at the therapy garden felt like a natural fit; it aligns perfectly with that mission. We’re proud to support the hospital in a way that contributes to patient recovery, while also bringing the team together for a genuinely rewarding day outdoors.”

The BWB Community Fund awards a quarterly grant to local projects that promote outdoor activity, wellbeing, and community connection. From school gardens to conservation projects, the fund empowers groups to create accessible green spaces that benefit everyone.

A Day That Makes a Difference

Our volunteer day was more than a team‑building exercise, it was a chance to contribute to a space that supports healing, reduces stress, and fosters community. The evidence is clear: spending time outdoors benefits us all, and for patients, it can be transformative.

We’re proud to play a small part in nurturing a space that brings comfort, recovery, and joy to so many and we look forward to continuing this work through both our volunteering efforts and the BWB Community Fund.