Specialist lender OSB Group has helped charity The Albrighton Trust create a new garden to commemorate the year of the King’s Coronation and its own 30-year anniversary.

The garden was officially opened last week by Anna Turner (pictured), Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire.

The Albrighton Trust, Moat and Gardens, designed around the remains of a 13th century fortified moated manor house in Albrighton, Wolverhampton, offers educational and recreational activities for local people disadvantaged by physical and learning disabilities or ill-health. The new garden will offer extra community space for anyone wanting to visit.

The Trust has faced challenges this year, as volunteer numbers have declined since Covid and steep inflation means funding and donations no longer cover the charity’s costs. OSB Group, which has offices in the area, donated £2,000 to pay for seeds and plants, gardening and landscaping equipment for the new garden, and OSB staff have been helping in the gardens every week since April as part of their company-provided volunteering hours.

Neil Richardson, chief sustainability officer at OSB Group, said: “The communities local to our operations are really important to us and supporting them is one of our core values. The work done by The Albrighton Trust is exceptional and we are delighted to be able to support them not only through a financial donation but also via our colleagues using their company – allocated volunteering time to help their goal become a reality.

“We really hope our help provides visitors with an environment that supports them and their activities.”

Stephen Jimson, manager of the Albrighton Trust, added: “The support from OSB Group has helped us to achieve much-needed developments to the gardens for our visitors in a much shorter space of time than would otherwise have been the case.

“The donation is amazing and hugely appreciated, but having OSB Group colleagues come along and volunteer is just wonderful.”