Give and Gain

Today over 10,000 employees were out volunteering in communities across the UK in one of the most inspirational days of the year - Give & Gain Day 2012. 9,000 or more employees were out across the world in 25 countries, also changing lives.

And I was one of them.

We were at a go-kart track that is free to the children in the local area. If you have children you will know that a visit to the go-kart track is not cheap but is a great experience. This track was in a deprived area of London and is run by adult volunteers and the older children for the youngsters.

In order to pass a health and safety review they needed work done to improve the safety of the track.

Thirteen of us from work spent the day there re-establishing the track. The wall of the track is bolted to stacks of tyres and the tyres are then roped together.

We needed to move the track away from the wall in the photo so that it could be repaired. This meant detatching the tyres, establishing the new track position, reattaching the tyres and then roping them together. In some places for extra support wooden posts are dug into the ground and the track secured to them.

I've unroped tyres, moved tyres and reroped them together. That meant alot of pulling the rope similar to pulling up the sails on a boat.

I've worked with a great bunch of people with us all getting on well and helping each other to achieve the end goal. Great team work

As the official photographer I've taken 130 photos, mainly of bottoms as people were bent over working. I've deliberately not used any of the people photos as I haven't had a chance to seek their permission.

As a "thank you" we were allowed to drive a kart around the track - what immense fun.

Since getting home I've had a bath as I'm already in pain from working so hard.

Daisy update - they are still hanging in there