Phoebus team lends a hand at Newlands Bishop Farm
22 July 2025
Local volunteering effort reinforces commitment to community as part of Phoebus's ESG strategy
Employees from Phoebus Software recently swapped spreadsheets for shovels as part of a volunteering day at Newlands Bishop Farm in Solihull, a local social enterprise run by the Family Care Trust, Phoebus’ 2025 charity partner.
Newlands Bishop Farm provides meaningful work experience and skills development for adults with learning disabilities and mental health conditions. The farm offers various activities such as animal care, wood work, gardening, horticulture, fruit and veg growing, college courses and catering. It operates seven days a week and plays a vital role in helping people gain confidence, work skills, independence and a sense of purpose.
Under glorious summer skies, the Phoebus tech team rolled up their sleeves to help redecorate one of the farm’s management offices and prepare the largest vegetable garden the site has ever seen. The produce grown there will supply the on-site café — which the team also enjoyed during a well-earned lunch break.
“Our volunteering day at Newlands Bishop Farm was both inspiring and humbling,” said Robin Jeffery, CTO at Phoebus. “It was fantastic to see first-hand how the farm is changing lives, and to contribute in a small way to its ongoing work. We came away tired but fulfilled, and with a real sense of achievement.
“The day was incredibly rewarding and a good reminder that to give is to receive – if we all focussed on giving to the community rather than just on what we get, the world would be a better place.”
The volunteering day was supported by Phoebus’ company-wide volunteering policy, which offers all employees a paid day each year to support a charity of their choice. The Family Care Trust was selected as Phoebus’s annual charity for 2025 following a staff vote, reflecting the company’s commitment to giving back to the local community.
This ethos sits at the heart of Phoebus’s wider ESG strategy, which is built around four key pillars: Environment, Community, People and Governance. In addition to volunteering, the company runs a range of fundraising activities throughout the year — including quarterly raffles — to support its chosen charity.
