Pictured above: Scrubbing up well, Deloitte's Dinesh Pancholi.

Four teams of partners and employees from Deloitte's Birmingham office took time away from their desk jobs to volunteer as part of the business advisory firm's fifth annual community day.

The firm chose to return to work with organisations it has helped in the past - St Mary's Hospice in Selly Oak, Leonard Cheshire Home in Sutton Coldfield, St Anne's Junior School in Highgate and the Black Country Museum.

At St Mary's Hospice, which looks after more than 1,000 people with life-limiting illnesses each year, the team took on weeding and pruning the sensory garden, laying a new gravelled area and valeting vehicles, as well as helping in the charity shop and the day centre.

In the day centre volunteers made toast, tea and lunch, helped out with crafts and took part in keep fit activities with the hospice users.

More than 3,000 Deloitte employees from across the UK volunteer every year to support a variety of local community projects, from workshops in schools and colleges aimed at helping young people prepare for work, to arranging and managing events with local disability groups, to planting trees in inner city parks.

During September 1,500 Deloitte employees across the country left their Blackberries and laptops at home and took a day out to participate in more than 75 voluntary schemes across the country.   

Richard Edwards, practice senior partner for Deloitte in the Midlands, spent the day volunteering at St Mary's.

He said: "We encourage all our people to get involved with our community programme by raising funds, contributing ideas and using their talents, which benefits the community organisations they support as well as developing their own skills.  

"In total, each year Deloitte staff contribute more than 36,000 hours to community projects and despite recent economic concerns, supporting our local communities remains a top priority for the firm."

Deloitte's community contribution is focussed on four key areas of activity: The environment, skills and education, disability sport and charitable giving.

Last year Deloitte contributed a total of £8.4m to the community, which consisted of direct donations, time and in-kind support.