A growing reputation

Philip Woodhouse, Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Epping Forest and City Commons Committee has written a letter of commendation to the group of 6 volunteers led by Optalis Senior Support Worker Kelly Story.

In the letter he expresses his appreciation for the group’s commitment and hard work which has culminated in the award of the prestigious Green Flag and Green Heritage Awards to the City Corporation’s Open Spaces.

He says, “These awards are an indicator of the enormously important work you do… The outstanding work performed by our volunteer groups across our sites really is a remarkable achievement, and it is gratifying to know that the local community care about the environment, ensuring the legacy for future generations.”

Kelly Story has also received glowing praise from Chris Morris, one of the rangers that the team work with at Burnham Beeches:

“Just wanted to say what a great job your guys do on a regular basis for us. Today has been another really successful day with far more achieved than I thought was possible. We are so fortunate to be able to benefit from the efforts of the team from Acorn under the excellent supervision of the brilliant Kelly! Superb job and long may it continue – we manage to get so much more achieved on our site with your team than we’d be able to do on our own.”

Conservation is just one of the many activities on offer in Learning Disabilities Day Services in Optalis. They offer a whole range of activities including Drama, IT skills, Horticultural therapy and much more, including specialised activities for individuals with complex needs. For further details, please enquire at karyn.fowle@optalis.org.