TJ donates skips to Rose Road project

TJ Waste has donated two 8 yard skips to the Road Road Association, to provide assistance on a landscaping project being undertaken to make one of the buildings they use more accessible for wheelchair users.

Southampton-based charity Rose Road operates from its Bradbury Centre in Aldermoor Road and they also use the scout hut located next door for a range of activities for the young people that use their services.

The exterior of the hut was quite overgrown, making it difficult for wheelchair users to gain access to it, so the charity embarked on a landscaping project to clear the area and make it more usable.

The project, which took place in September, was undertaken over a week-long period with the help of a number of volunteers. They gave the area a complete overhaul, clearing away overgrown areas and reshaping the site. It now has raised planter beds, a gravelled pathway and repainted fences, giving it a smart new look as well as being more accessible.

The skips were used to clear away an old lawnmower, leftover building materials and vast amounts of shrubbery and green waste, making it much quicker and easier for the work to be carried out. TJ delivered the first skip to the site on the requested date, facilitated a skip exchange mid-week and collected the second skip when full at the end of the week, all at the Rose Road team’s convenience.

The skips were taken to TJ’s Dibles Wharf Materials Recovery Facility in Southampton for sorting, with any recyclables being removed for onward recycling, the building materials being sent for reuse as recycled aggregates, and the green waste being directed to a specialist facility.

TJ’s Marketing Executive, Emily Martin visited Rose Road whilst the project was going on. She said:

“It was great to meet the Rose Road team and have a tour around the facilities and I even got to say hi to some of the volunteers helping out with the clearance project that week. I noticed that the skip was really full so I arranged for them to have a second skip delivered, which I hope made their tough job a little easier.” 

The Rose Road Association is a charity that makes a positive difference to the lives of young people with disabilities. It provides direct care services including respite breaks, community outreach, holiday activities and advice for over 300 children and young adults with severe physical disabilities, learning difficulties, and/or autism. They work across Hampshire and the surrounding counties and have been providing these services for 70 years.

TJ has worked in partnership with Rose Road since 2013 when TJ’s Managing Director, John Gosling, became aware of the great work they do. That year, John – a keen sportsman – undertook his first event, the relay marathon, to raise money for Rose Road. Over the years, he has completed the Great South Run, the ABP Marathon and the London Marathon for them. He, and other members of the TJ team have also taken part in the charity’s annual triathlon event and attended dinner dances.

TJ Waste also started providing support in 2013. Over the years, they’ve made many donations to different fundraisers as well as donating skips whenever a skip was needed. Skips have been used for clearing debris when work has been carried out at their premises or gardens and for waste disposal during fundraising events.

Most recently, TJ pledged £300 to Rose Road’s Big Give Project, which in turn went on to generate a total of £6,000 from community donations. The project was launched last year to support the mental health of the children and young people under their care in the wake of the COVID lockdowns. The money has enabled the charity to re-integrate their young people into the community and to regain skills they lost during that time of isolation.

Over the nine years, John has raised over £8,000 with his sponsored sporting events, and TJ has raised almost £10,000.

Chloe Atkins, Head of Fundraising at Rose Road said:

“The support from John and TJ is incredible. Their joint fundraising efforts have helped us deliver the equivalent of over 50 short breaks to disabled children and young people. It means much more than just income – disabled people and their families often feel very isolated so knowing that businesses like TJ and the local community has got their back makes a huge difference.”

Find out more about the other great work TJ gets involved in and about the range of services we offer…