As part of Abbott’s commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR), Contract Managers and their teams are participating in dedicated CSR days throughout 2025.

The North West London team, led by Contract Manager Karuna Jones, got together at Headstone Manor Park, the lush recreational ground surrounding Headstone Manor and Museum in North Harrow.

What prompted your decision to help out in the park as your CSR activity?

I wanted to do something specifically in the North West London area to help give back to the community we’re a part of. The park had a lot of options for volunteering activities that we could take part in. It’s quite a diverse space, there are open grassy areas that you’d expect in a park, as well as wildlife habitats, wetlands and a little stream that runs through it.

We’d originally planned to help with planting around the grounds but due to the extremely hot weather at the time, the ground was really hard and dry so we had to have a change of plan just a couple of days before. Ironically, on the day it had actually cooled down significantly.

How many people were involved?

There were six of us involved from the North West London team, plus a couple of other park volunteers who came out with us as well.

Tell us about the day itself. How did it go?

Since the weather had cooled down, it actually worked to our advantage as we were doing quite a lot of strenuous manual work throughout the day. I think we might have exhausted ourselves if it had been as hot as it had been.

We went around the grounds litter picking and chopping down loose or stray branches, many of which we used for dead hedging installation, which took up the majority of our time. Dead hedging is a way of forming a barrier between the stream and park patrons while also creating a habitat for some of the park’s wildlife. We stacked dead wood, branches and other dead foliage along the banks of the stream. None of us had heard of it before, and it was really interesting to learn about all the things that parks like Headstone Manor are doing to promote wildlife conservation.

Do you feel that it was a good bonding experience for the team?

Definitely. We don’t often get to see each other outside of work meetings, and to get together and do something different that isn’t directly related to our roles showed how well we work as a team. Everyone did their part, breaking down wood and shifting heavy logs around, while we all had a good chat. I earned the nickname “Queen of dead hedging” for the day, so that’s another string to my bow!

What are your plans for your next CSR day?

I’m in the process of getting our next day planned in. We were thinking of doing something a little different next time, so I’m looking into working with a local food bank to see how we can support the community there.

Do you have any words of inspiration or encouragement for other people looking to take part in CSR activities?

It’s a genuinely rewarding experience and allows you to take a step back from normal life to appreciate what's actually out there and what’s going on in the world. I think it’s easy to take green spaces like parks for granted. Our experience allowed us to understand all the hard work, effort and care that’s put in by the people who maintain them every day. For us, it was about giving something back to the community, but I think we came away with something ourselves too.

So many organisations out there are constantly looking for volunteers to help wherever they can. So whether you’ve got a few hours or a few days to spare, whatever you’re able to offer to support someone, it’s definitely worth reaching out.