Blooming Day Out To Kew Gardens For Elderly Group Thanks To Marylebone Businesses

The collaborative Smarter Giving project, orchestrated by Baker Street Quarter Partnership, the local Business Improvement District (BID), saw over 15 Marylebone businesses and residents come together to donate funds and volunteer to make the day possible.

It was identified that due to mobility and cost issues, days out and the chance to make friends with neighbours were a rarity for the elderly folk based at the 6 units.  With the Baker Street Quarter Partnership at the helm, local businesses fundraised the £1,500 required to hire a mobility bus and cover all costs to ensure the group were treated to a memorable day out.

Funds were donated by Marylebone based Fortius Clinic, Knight Frank, Lane Clark & Peacock Streathers Solicitors and Spafax and even some personal donations were made by local residents. The generosity didn’t end with funds alone, as 10 volunteers from Boston Consulting Group, Knight Frank, International Council of Mining & Metals, and Silverpeak made the day possible by becoming the group’s companions for the day.

The day treat included boarding the Kew train which gave everyone a serene tour of the gardens from the comfort of their seats and then, with volunteers to lend a hand the group spent the day exploring the gardens by foot.  Re-fuelled by a generous amount of afternoon tea the group spent the afternoon visiting the attraction and enjoying the beauty of the picturesque grounds.

The trip certainly met its objectives, with one guest saying “I’ve had the most wonderful day.  I met a new friend from a different home and we swapped numbers.  It’s been lovely seeing Kew again.  I haven’t been here since I was a child but it’s absolutely lovely.  Thank you for doing this for us”.

Penny Alexander, Baker Street Quarter Partnership’s Chief Executive said “This  was such an enjoyable day out shared by people  who work and live in the same community but might otherwise never meet.   We were thrilled that so many of our business members were keen to get involved making it yet another successful Smarter Giving project”.