Small Acts, Big Impact: Lending a hand where it matters

Sometimes, making a difference is all about seizing the moment to make small acts, have a big impact.

In October, when Specialist Works Contract Manager Mark Oram and his crew arrived in Melton Mowbray to carry out trackside works, they didn’t expect to stumble upon an opportunity to give back. A wrong turn led them not to their site, but to the local Mencap branch, a charity which supports individuals with learning disabilities by providing services for employment, education, and leisure, and by offering advice and campaigning for change.

What they found down that road was a charity building in need of a little TLC. Noting that they had some time before they needed to be on site, the team popped into the charity’s building and asked if there was anything that they could do for the charity later that night, after they had completed the works for our client. With the tools, experience and knowledge to do so, they would be able to revitalise the space in a short time frame if the charity wanted them to do so.

Mencap, like many charities, relies on volunteers and often faces tight budgets, with every penny reserved for those who need it most. So, when Mark’s team turned up, equipped and ready to lend a hand, the staff were thrilled at the opportunity that had landed in their lap. That evening, after their possession works were cancelled unexpectedly, the crew rolled up their sleeves and set to work.

Ultimately, our team deep-cleaned the office cabin, repainted the fence, restored a memorial bench, cleared overgrown vegetation that threatened safety and access, and gave the children’s play area a fresh lease of life. Their efforts didn’t just brighten up the space; they made it safer for the charity and more welcoming for everyone who uses the services.

Completing the work in the dead of night after their possession works nearby were cancelled, the team completed all of their tasks before the sun rose, leaving before the charity’s team arrived in the morning to thank them for their efforts. Though once the Mencap team did return that morning, our team were inundated with messages from the Mencap Melton Mowbray team, who were overwhelmed with what had been done for the charity in a matter of hours. Returning later that evening, the team finished the final works needed and also completed a few cheeky extras.

Though the team are used to completing activities like this as part of their role, this work made an invaluable difference for the charity, which would have been unable to complete these works without the money to pay skilled individuals or ask for days of their volunteers’ time to help out.

Tasha, the Service Manager at Melton Mowbray’s Mencap, was overjoyed with the work completed by the team.