People’s Patch Coventry
From Office to Outdoors: Volunteering at Groundwork’s People’s Patch in Coventry
At The Best Connection, we believe supporting local communities is an important part of responsible recruitment.
Not every volunteering day looks the same. Some are about conversation, connection and shared meals around a table. Others are about getting outside, rolling up your sleeves and building something you can point to at the end of the day and say – we made that.
As part of our partnership with Groundwork, IT & Telecoms Manager David Morton recently spent time volunteering at the People’s Patch project in Coventry — a community initiative focused on transforming underused land into a shared green space.
What Is the People’s Patch?
The People’s Patch is a Groundwork initiative designed to turn unused land into a practical, accessible green space for the local community.
It’s the kind of project that might sound simple on paper, but in practice requires consistent effort, a lot of willing hands, and the ability to bring together people from very different backgrounds around a shared purpose.
On any given session, you’ll find volunteers from local schools, special education needs centres, Carers Trust and other community groups all working side by side – each with their own reason for being there, but united by the same goal.
That mix of people is not incidental. It’s the point.
What David Got Up To
David arrived on site, was pointed in the right direction, and got to work. There was no easing in gently.
The morning centred on two main tasks. First, building planters – measuring out the wood, sawing it to size and nailing it together into solid, finished structures that will form part of the site’s growing infrastructure. It’s the kind of work that demands focus and a certain satisfaction when it comes together. David took to it naturally.
The second task took him outdoors into the site itself. He dug out the ground to prepare space for new trees, then planted them – the kind of contribution that won’t be fully appreciated for years, but that’s rather the point. The trees David helped plant will still be growing long after the morning is a distant memory.
Working alongside volunteers he’d only just met, the conversation flowed easily. That’s something you find on projects like this – shared physical work has a way of breaking down barriers quickly. By mid-morning, it felt less like a group of strangers and more like a team.
A Perspective from Our Team
David Morton reflected on his experience:
“I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going in, but I came away really glad I did it. There’s something grounding about doing physical work outdoors, sawing wood, planting trees, building something with your hands. But what stayed with me most was the people. Volunteers from so many different organisations and backgrounds, all just getting on with it together.
It was clear on everybody’s face how much benefit this project brings to all the volunteers, and I hope The People’s Patch got as much from my visit as I did. Projects like The People’s Patch do something really important, they give a community a reason to show up and work towards something bigger than themselves.
I have full intentions to return, hopefully in the not-too-distant future. I’d go back in a heartbeat.”
– David Morton, IT & Telecoms Manager, The Best Connection
Why Green Spaces Matter
Access to green space has been linked to improved wellbeing, stronger communities and increased opportunities for social connection.
In some urban areas, these spaces can be limited. Projects like the People’s Patch help address that by creating environments that are shaped and supported by the community itself.
Supporting Communities Through Partnership
Our partnership with Groundwork reflects a shared focus on community wellbeing, sustainability and access to opportunity.
As a recruitment business, we support people into work across the UK. Initiatives like this complement that work by contributing to the wider communities our candidates and clients are part of.
Part of Something Bigger
David’s morning at the People’s Patch is one of many volunteering touchpoints taking shape across our partnership with Groundwork in 2026. From community cooking sessions in Dudley to green space projects in Coventry, our teams are finding different ways to show up – and each one adds something different to the picture.
What ties them together isn’t the activity. It’s the belief that a business has a role to play beyond the transaction – and that the best way to demonstrate that is simply to turn up, get involved, and let the work speak for itself.
The People’s Patch is still growing. So is our commitment to it.
To find out more about our partnership with Groundwork, visit our Groundwork Partnership Hub.
About The Best Connection
The Best Connection is one of the UK’s leading providers of temporary workforce solutions. For over three decades we have proudly served and supported our clients and candidates across multiple industry sectors, delivering our best-in-class customer service.
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