GREEN-fingered staff from housing developer Lovell donned gardening gloves and delivered an outdoor makeover at the community-run Coppice Library and Wellbeing Centre in Sale.

Eight volunteers from Lovell’s North West regional office in Altrincham spent two days carrying out planting which will bring fresh life and colour to garden beds and create a more welcoming entrance area and exterior for the centre.

During the two-day activity, they planted 180 shrubs and flowers, including plenty of bee-friendly plants.

The Lovell volunteers pitched in through the company’s corporate volunteering scheme which enables employees to take time away from their jobs to work on community projects and help community groups.

Diane Russell, manager of the Coppice Library and Wellbeing Centre, said:“The Lovell team was brilliant, they worked their socks off."

The plants were purchased by the Coppice Library and Wellbeing Centre using a grant from the Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund. Wholesale nursery J A Jones also donated compost and additional plants.

Diane added: "The work that’s been done by Lovell will make a big difference to the outside of the building which was previously quite stark.

"The planted beds will soften its appearance and make it much more welcoming and friendly, which we hope will attract even more people to the library and wellbeing centre.

"We’ve already done a lot of work inside the building but it’s been great to have this help to improve the entrance and the parking area.”

Lovell regional director Nigel Yates said: “Our team worked very hard and are delighted that the centre is so pleased with the results. As a company which strongly believes in making a difference in local communities, it’s been a real pleasure to get involved with an organisation which plays such an important part in people’s lives.”

The Coppice Library and Wellbeing Centre is a community wellbeing hub, run by and for the area’s residents with support from not-for-profit social enterprise blueSCI.

It provides people living locally with opportunities for social interaction and learning, hosting a wide range of activities and groups, including children’s story sessions, arts and craft workshops, reading groups, creative writing workshops, a women’s wellbeing group and IT support sessions.

Find out more – including details of opportunities to volunteer or support the centre in other ways – by contacting centre manager Diane Russell on 0161 912 3560.