Leavig their laptops behind, some members of the RIT team put their gardening gloves on and spent a day volunteering with PLANT - MCR, a not-for-profit gardening co-operative right here in our city. This was made possible thanks to the University of Manchester’s new volunteering leave policy, encouraging staff to give back to the community.
PLANT is a cooperative that specialises in tending often neglected urban city centre spaces, making them more useful, welcoming, and green. They do this by involving local residents, volunteers, and gardeners in hands-on maintenance and improvement projects. Their work transforms overlooked urban spaces into thriving green pockets that benefit people and wildlife alike.
Our day began with a warm welcome from Gary, one of PLANT’s gardeners. Gary took us on a tour of several community gardens they care for, including NOMA and Angel Gardens, sharing insights into the different plants, their roles in supporting local wildlife, and the history behind each site.
After the tour, we split into two teams. One group was preparing garden beds—some were digging over city planters that had previously grown other plants but needed soil improvement and a fresh start. Others focused on weeding and maintaining already improved planters, removing invasive plants to give the flowers and shrubs room to grow.
In the afternoon, we regrouped near the co-op headquarters to continue in Angel Gardens, battling weeds and planting new greenery. Weeding eventually turned into an unspoken competition to find the biggest nettle—Sarah Jaffa found one as tall as herself! After that we planted cosmos and black-eyed Susan, which will hopefully grow into beautiful flowers.
Overall, it was fascinating to learn about Manchester’s urban gardens and have the chance to contribute to the city’s green spaces.
Beyond the gardening itself, the day was a brilliant opportunity for team building. It gave us the chance to meet colleagues we don’t usually work with, get to know each other in a relaxed setting, and enjoy some fresh air and physical activity. Being outdoors and working together on something hands-on sparked plenty of good conversations and a few laughs. The experience also inspired some of us to think more about volunteering in general, whether returning to help PLANT-MCR again, supporting different causes, or even making volunteering day a regular part of team life. A few people mentioned they were inspired to try more gardening at home as well.
We’d highly recommend making use of the University of Manchester’s volunteering leave policy, which gives staff three days of paid leave each year to volunteer. It’s a fantastic way to support good causes, strengthen team relationships, and step outside your usual role for a day. We’ll be keeping an eye out for similar opportunities in the near future.
