MORE people are taking part in a work scheme aimed at getting employees to help out in the community.

Durham University runs the scheme to give its 4,300 members of staff the chance to volunteer for up to five days a year, while still being paid.

Last year, 432 staff took part in the scheme, contributing nearly 5,000 hours to more than 100 community organisations.

Dr Andrew Cattermole, the university’s head of staff volunteering and outreach, said: “As a university we make a positive contribution to our local communities economically, culturally, socially and through our world-leading and world-changing research.

The Northern Echo:

Mark Brian volunteering to tidy up the Stockton Road Cemetery

“With our volunteering scheme, our goal is to make a genuine positive impact with our community partners, while offering meaningful and rewarding volunteering opportunities for our staff.

“We’re very proud of our staff who have achieved record volunteering hours in the past year and are grateful both to all staff who have taken part and all our community partners who work with us.”

Employees have been helping out at food banks, local schools, environmental projects, search and rescue teams and veterans’ charities.

Kelly Smith, food supply manager at County Durham Foodbank, which is one of the charities to benefit, said: "We’ve had a variety of volunteers from Durham University this year and the contribution they’ve made to the workload of the Foodbank has been invaluable.

"The volunteer teams have been exceptionally hard working and have provided sustained, reliable support in our food store. We can’t thank them enough.”

Last month, the university announced its ‘4Schools’ team, which runs visits and workshops and talks for school groups to explore its museums, attractions and collections had also had a record year – working with 24,506 young people.

Good causes and charities interested in being assisted by university staff volunteers can visit: www.durham.ac.uk/volunteer.