M&S calls on Plymouth residents to spark something good

Plymouth and Exeter set to undertake 24 projects over seven days

M&S stores across Plymouth and Exeter are calling on local residents to roll up their sleeves and Spark Something Good by joining over 100 M&S employees in a week of volunteering that will positively impact 24 projects over seven days.

Spark Something Good will see 24 projects at the heart of local communities take place across 24 cities in the UK and Ireland over the course of 24 months. Plymouth and Exeter have been selected as the next cities to host an M&S Spark Something Good event following the success of projects in Newcastle, Bristol, Leeds and Bradford.

From Monday 5 September to Sunday 11 September 2016, M&S colleagues and customers will come together and donate their time to improving local community spaces.

Amongst the 24 projects that will benefit from Spark Something Good are Plymouth-based Harbour Centre and Barnardos DELL Children’s Centre.

Harbour helps anyone, including family and friends, affected by the misuse of drugs and alcohol. As part of Spark Something Good, the centre’s outdoor space will undergo a dramatic makeover, with the installation of a rooftop garden. The garden will provide service users and staff with a calming space in which to think.

Meanwhile at DELL Children’s Centre, painting and decorating will be the order of the day as the volunteers transform a common room into a community hub and café. The make-over will include a complete redecoration and the installation of new furniture for the café.

Jane Carey, Manager at Marks & Spencer Plymouth, said: “We are really proud to be bringing Spark Something Good to Plymouth and Exeter this September. It was difficult to choose just 24 projects across the two cities but we have some really worthy causes on board. With our M&S colleagues and the community working together like this, we know we can achieve something great for local organisations that really matter. These services are relied upon by so many people across Plymouth and Exeter, and we can’t wait to get stuck in to help them on 5 September.”

Registration to take part opens today (18 August 2016). To find out more and sign-up, simply visit the dedicated page at www.neighbourly.com/mandsvolunteer, developed by Neighbourly, the social network for social good.

Spark Something Good is part of Plan A, M&S’s ground-breaking eco and ethical programme. It was developed following extensive research and dialogue which revealed that getting involved in community projects enhanced people’s lives. M&S aims to spark Plymouth and Exeter residents into action by showing just what can be achieved when people come together united by a common goal.

Volunteers can also sign up for Spark Something Good by calling 0117 915 1279.