BNZ staff get stuck in to community projects on Closed for Good day

MULCHING FOR GOOD: BNZ staffers (from left) Helen Reader, Greg Blackwood, Becky Ivory and Rob Gemmell hard at work at Springvale Bike Park.

Whanganui BNZ's staff left their business attire at home, put on their gumboots and got stuck in to some community projects on Wednesday.

It was all part of BNZ's annual Closed for Good volunteering day where more than 3000 staff throughout New Zealand spent the day helping in their communities.

BNZ business partner Cindy Hoskin said about 20 Whanganui staff from the business, agricultural and retail teams worked on three projects during the day.

"We spent the morning doing financial literacy with Year 5 and 6 students at St John's Hill School and also built a post and railing fence for a new play area," Ms Hoskin said.

"The students really appreciated the financial literacy session and we talked to them about savings. We don't talk enough to children about money - it's something that needs to happen more.

"They know money comes out of an ATM but they don't understand how it gets [into a bank account]."

The team then moved to Springvale Bike Park where they put in 200 plants as well as mulching and weed matting around the pump track.

During the afternoon, they worked at the Sisters of St Joseph wetlands, mulching and putting weed matting around 80 trees in the orchard.

"It's a good way to help the community and get out as a team to build our own team environment," Ms Hoskin said.