Nexus apprentices have taken a break from their training to give the gardens a makeover at St Oswald’s Hospice in Newcastle.
All Nexus apprentices have to carry out a small element of work that benefits the community as part of the three-year apprentice training programme.
Nexus, which has its operational base in South Gosforth, sent ten of its apprentices to the nearby hospice to give the Day Garden a much-needed bit of remodelling.
The apprentices got busy moving the raised flower beds and sanding down and then varnishing the garden furniture.
It means that the patients at the hospice have a vastly improved outdoor seating area for summer.
Staff and patients at the hospice were extremely grateful for the help that Nexus was able to provide.
Head of Maintenance Delivery for Nexus, Phil Kirkland, said: “We have built a small element of community work into our apprentice training programme.
“This is so that our apprentices can get out into the community and meet people they might not ordinarily meet when they are at work on the Metro tracks.
“With our base being so near to St Oswald’s Hospice in Gosforth it seemed a nice idea for the apprentices to go in there and do some work.
“The lads did a great job on the garden. They have sanded and varnished all the furniture. The hospice is over the moon as it means the patients have an improved area outside to enjoy the warmer weather.”
Helena Knipe, an Occupational Therapists at St Oswald’s, said: “We were delighted to welcome the team of apprentices from Nexus. They worked so hard all day, sanding down our weathered garden furniture so it looked just like new. They also helped move our raised flower beds, which are essential for our patients who use wheelchairs or have limited mobility.
“The gardens are a very important feature in the Hospice and we try to make access to them as easy as possible for our patients. Many love gardening, but find it difficult in their own homes, so we try and find ways to help them enjoy their hobby in a safe and comfortable way. The apprentice’s efforts will mean the patients can access the raised beds and can enjoy the sunshine on our smart garden furniture. We are so grateful for their hard work.”
St Oswald’s is a hospice that provides specialist palliative care for adults, children and young adults from across the North East of England.
Nexus is the public body which owns and manages the Tyne Wear Metro system, which carries 37 million passengers a year.
Nexus currently runs a three year engineering apprenticeship scheme.
Nexus has a long history of employing apprentices but has more than doubled the size of its programme from 4 to 10 new starters per year, to ensure vital skills are retained as the profile of its current rail engineering workforce gets older.
It has overhauled and expanded its advanced engineering training programme in partnership with expert provider Gateshead College, having previously sent apprentices to other parts of the country for basic training. This will lead to them achieving an NVQ Level 2 Performing Engineering Operations and BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Electrical/Electronic Engineering. They will also gain English, Maths and IT skills at Level 2.