Creating a garden area in Kapfenburg
In Purmo Group Austria, a group of factory floor workers were inspired to lend a hand when they heard about the sorry plight of a community centre in Kapfenburg.
The centre provides resources for disabled and disadvantaged individuals. The management wanted to make use of the land surrounding the centre, but it was overgrown with trees and vegetation, and was unsuitable as a safe space. The vision was to create an airy, open garden area where people could relax, enjoy nature and take the air.
In Autumn 2022, the three workers Rudolf Gutjahr, Gerhard Hierzerbauer and Stefan Strebinger, who work on the production line in Diemlach, took a van full of tools to Kapfenburg, where they set about transforming the overgrown grounds. Over 200 hours of their time, funded by Purmo Group, was spent cutting back trees and bushes, repairing and replacing broken benches and turning the area into a beautiful, tranquil space.
Ines Hieber, HR Manager for Germany and Austria said: ‘When I heard about this project I knew that we had the right people to take it on. They thoroughly enjoyed being let loose with power tools, and were happy to have a change of scene and be out in the fresh air. The amount of timber they cut down is quite remarkable, and the managers of the centre are delighted.’