Auriel Property Management Team Members Support Local School Charity

Online, April 30, 2012 (Newswire.com) - One of the first members of the Auriel team to take part was Victoria Shelley, Health and Safety Manager at Auriel's offices in the City of London, who volunteered along with 20 others to help complete the Bygrove Primary School garden in east London.

The initiative was supported by the charity Trees for Cities an independent charity which inspires people to plant and love trees worldwide. Established in 1993, Trees for Cities creates social cohesion and beautifies our cities through tree planting, community-led design, education and training initiatives in urban areas that need it most.

The charity manages projects like the one at the Bygrove School garden and many projects across the UK and Ireland as well as internationally in Addis Ababa, Nairobi and Ica, Peru. Community-led design is an integral part of our landscaping projects. Involving local residents, schools and community groups helps ensure the sustainability of these green spaces.

The Bygrove School project involved moving soil, constructing and filling new raised beds and creating tyre walls. Along with planting trees and shrubs. It proved to be a great success and the children are delighted with their new garden.

This year UK charities are facing funding cuts of more than £1bn. Many charities are also reporting a drop in donations. Wayne Antione, Director at Auriel said: "For businesses, I believe it's important to be wary of thriftily abandoning charitable initiatives and CSR efforts when times are tough. In fact, Corporate Social Responsibility should lie at the heart of your business model - not just viewed as an add-on. That's why we believe this type of support is vital both for charities and for the development of our team members".

More UK businesses have established policies supporting employees paid leave to support their favourite charities. The initiative is set to grow during 2012.