Farron hails Sandylands volunteers

Cumbrian MP Tim Farron has tabled a motion in Parliament praising the work of volunteers from Sandylands Methodist Church, who came out in force last week to provide services including gardening, repairs and waste disposal for local residents.

As part of the Church's Hope 2013 mission, teams of volunteers from the Church worked alongside local residents to renovate gardens, fill skips with unwanted household waste, and provide general assistance to the community on the estate.

Tim's EDM hailed the generosity and dedication of the volunteers, and said the project was a shining example of the unity and strong bonds within Cumbrian communities, which deserve widespread recognition.

Commenting, Tim said: "I was very proud to highlight the fantastic work Jonny Gios and his team are doing to strengthen community spirit in Sandylands, and draw attention to the hard working volunteers who gave up their own time simply to help local people.

"The project has had a great response, and I know from seeing some of the comments on facebook just how much this has been appreciated.

"This is yet another example of community spirit in action in Cumbria, and everyone involved with the Sandylands Methodists' campaign is a real credit to our region and an example to the whole country".

EDM Text as follows:

"That This House supports the fantastic recent work undertaken in Kendal by volunteers led by Rev Jonny Gios and the Sandylands Methodist Church as part of their Hope 2013 Project; acknowledges the dedication and generosity of those who gave up their own time to provide free services from gardening to removal of unwanted waste for local people; highlights the project as an example of the strong spirit of co-operation and close ties that exist in Cumbrian communities; and calls for widespread recognition of the exemplary virtues of the project."