Two days, two teams - one amazing pond restoration

Two days, two teams - one amazing pond restoration

Ponds are amazing. They’re a haven for wildlife, providing a home for frogs, newts and insects – in turn, helping to provide food for birds, bats and other small mammals. They’re also great for people, providing a tranquil place to relax and unwind.

Two of our teams recently donated their time to help restore the pond at Gateway Garden in Reigate. The experience was a great way for colleagues to connect away from the office, as well as restoring a pond that brings many benefits to the local community.

The Gateway Garden pond

The Gateway Garden at New Pond Allotments in Reigate provides space for local people to take part in nature therapy and wellbeing activities, learning new skills and improving their health. It’s used by families, local schools, and local charities. Activities include skills training, therapeutic horticultural activities including planting flowerbeds, vegetable patches and fruit trees, and helping to manage the wildlife pond.  

Many of the people who visit the garden are in stressful situations, dealing with issues such as homelessness, mental health conditions or isolation. The pond helps to create an atmosphere of calm for everyone who visits. Unfortunately, the pond lining had been damaged, leaving the pond in a poor condition.

Our Give a Day scheme

At SES Water, employees have the opportunity to Give a Day by volunteering in the community. The teams took up the challenge to restore the pond. We provided a new pump, waders, gloves and water to refill the pond.

First the pond was cleared. Wherever possible, we moved plants to a tray so they could be put back later. We removed silt and waste from the bottom of the pond and put a fresh liner in place, then used a tanker and hose to refill the pond with 7,000 litres of water. It was a really rewarding task for the teams, even with grey, cold weather.

A wonderful resource for years to come

The renovated pond will now be a healthier place for wildlife as well as providing much-needed tranquility for visitors to the garden.

After the event, we received an email from the Surrey Care Trust (who manage the garden) which said: “We achieved more than we could have wished for thanks to the mighty SES Water team - Give A Day on another level! Your togetherness, leadership, communication, and resilience were outstanding and spirits in the garden have certainly been lifted seeing the progress of our beautiful pond.”

Why not make a pond in your own garden to help support wildlife? The Wildlife Trusts have step-by-step instructions.