Green fingered financiers support Salford charity

A team of financiers from The Bank of New York Mellon joined forces with the Salford Youth Offending Service to make improvements at Salford Women's Centre.

The team of 10 staff from The Bank of New York Mellon's Manchester office in Piccadilly Gardens and 11 local youth offenders worked on the grounds of the women's centre. Many of the youth offenders stayed behind on a voluntary basis after completing allocated hours in order to help finish the work.

The project was organised by The Bank of New York Mellon, which has recently announced its commitment to expanding its Manchester presence by opening a second office in the city, in partnership with the Salford Youth Offending Service. Over the course of a week, the volunteers planted trees, mowed lawns and built a sensory 'touch and feel' area of the gardens for users.

Salford Women's Centre was opened in 1985 and provides a range of services including counselling, childcare, support for pregnant teenagers and a café.

Earlier this year, a decision by Salford Council to withdraw funding put the future of the organisation in jeopardy but protests managed to save the centre from closure.

The Bank of New York Mellon employs more than 800 people in Manchester and as part of its Community Partnership Programme all employees can take two days of paid leave to volunteer each year – freeing up the equivalent of 11,500 hours to support local charities.

Bob Preece, Head of the Management Office of The Bank of New York Mellon, said: "Salford Women's Centre is a fantastic organisation which makes a real difference to the lives of local people and we were keen to help out with extending the facilities on offer.

"The Bank of New York Mellon is a key player in Manchester's financial services industry and as part of our growing presence in the city, we're committed to supporting the wider community through voluntary projects like this."

Allison Taylor, Centre Manager for Salford Women's Centre, said: "The help we've received from The Bank of New York Mellon and the Salford Youth Offending Service has been fantastic and the work on the gardens has created a great outdoor space for to our users.

"With funding increasingly becoming an issue for many charities, volunteering work like this can have a major impact and we'd like to thank everyone involved."

If you would be interested in working with the Salford Youth Offending Service or receiving their help on not-for-profit projects, please contact Anthony Coop on 0161 607 1900 or email anthony.coop@salford.gov.uk.