A SHELTER for vulnerable adults has been aided by helpers from Nationwide as part of a volunteering week.

The volunteers built baskets out of reclaimed wooden pallets, painted them and filled them with strawberry plants for Michael House in Boscombe to use for their cooking and baking programmes.

Mark Horsford, the chief executive of Michael House, said: “Nationwide have been big supporters of ours for a couple of months.

“They have helped us to install our herb garden and paint our dining room. Now they are putting in some strawberry plants for us so that, hopefully, we can make some jam to enter the Ellingham Show later this year.

This project was part of Nationwide's social investment programme, where employees are encouraged to support local causes by volunteering up to 14 hours in their local communities during work time each year.

Nationwide area manager Jon Batcock said: “As a business, Nationwide are heavily involved in volunteer work through our citizenship programme.

“We decided to work with Michael House because, as we are focussed on providing mortgages and savings programmes, Michael House do a great job in helping people get back on their feet and they support them as they get back into the housing and rental market.”

Michael House, a hostel opened by homeless charity Michaels Limited, takes in individuals suffering from homelessness and provides them with emergency and longer-term accommodation as well as related day services.

As well as providing a range of eclectic activities and initiatives such as gardening and baking, the shelter encourages its residents to volunteer and help in the community, with around 97 per cent of people living in the hostel actively engaging in the local community.

Mark, who also used to volunteer in the Michaels Limited night shelter, continues: “This month’s theme at the shelter is change and looking after the community.

“With volunteer week this week, refugee week next week and June being the month of pride, we want to get our residents involved and help change the environment they live in," he said.

“Volunteering is great in that it gives you a purpose by doing something practical. We would not be able to offer half the services and activities we have here without our volunteers and staff.”

Two of the shelters staff, Shelly and Maria, are raising money for Michael House by participating in the ’Couch to 5k’ challenge. The hostel is also hosting an AGM on July 17 for people to learn more about the shelter.