The Leeds Building Society has reported that a record number of members of staff are volunteering in their communities.

More than half of colleagues at the Society spent in excess of 4,700 hours volunteering and helping over 160 projects across the UK in 2017. They have done everything from tidying-up waste ground to painting fences to mentoring young people to resurfacing a trail for wheelchair users in the North York Moors National Park.

Since 2015 the Society has more than quadrupled the number of people who use its scheme which allows all colleagues to take a day’s paid leave each year and volunteer to help a cause they are passionate about.

Richard Fearon, the Leeds Building Society’s chief commercial officer, said: “I’m really proud of our colleagues whose fantastic endeavours have made such a difference in their communities.

“As a Society we’re committed to helping members and their local communities and I’m pleased to see that is really paying off with the numbers who sign up for volunteering reaching record levels in 2017.”

Fearon used his volunteering leave to help out at his local parkrun and hopes even more colleagues will make use of the benefit in 2018. This June the Society will run a volunteering week to encourage more colleagues to use their skills to help communities.

“I am delighted that the number of people choosing to volunteer has quadrupled since 2015,” said Luke Wellock, the Leeds Building Society’s corporate responsibility manager.

“Our priority is to ensure colleagues across the business know how the scheme can support them and feel empowered to use the time available.”