“I’m always busy, and that’s what I love!” And since becoming a volunteer in Beeston that is certainly true for Dave!
He’s had a busy working life and retired 18 months ago. Living in Beeston for 17 ½ years Dave gave his neighbours Sarah and Ben a hand with work in their bin yard and since then he’s never looked back!
Following the work in the bin yard he’s become good friends with Ed Carlisle and his work with the ‘Love Beeston/Clean Beeston’ campaign. Dave worked on the project to put up hanging baskets in the Harlech Road area, and met me, Linda Stanley, secretary of Beeston in Bloom. I never miss the opportunity to recruit a willing pair of hands and following a chance meeting while Beeston in Bloom were working in the park, Dave joined in and I’m happy to say that he’s never missed a working party since.
His membership of one group led to contact with many others in the area, and in the last year Dave has worked with:
- Friends of Cross Flatts Park and Bands in the park – attending all 6 Sundays last year;
- Holy Spirit community garden – working on his own on a few , occasions to help clear the overgrown site;
- Cardboard den building with Ed – shifting mountains of cardboard stored in Holy Spirit Church;
- Helping Groudwork and the Green for Go team at the Rowland Road planter, which led to him helping out at Lady Pit Lane allotments;
- He was part of the volunteer group who helped at St Luke’s church bagging 72 cubic metres of clothing bound for Iraq;
- He’s even given a hand to our rival competitors in Holbeck in Bloom.
Dave agrees that he has learned new skills, met a lot of new people and is always busy.
Well, Beeston in Bloom certainly appreciates his participation and am sure that other groups will agree.
This post was written by Linda Stanley using our Create an article for South Leeds Life page.
