Pictured above: Digging deep for Hasbury Court community garden

Willmott Dixon is marking Volunteers' Week by reminding local tenants' and residents' groups that they can nominate local projects for assistance as part of the company's volunteering initiative.

Volunteers' Week (1-7 June) is an annual event which celebrates the fantastic contribution that millions of volunteers make across the UK.

Around 1,000 staff from Willmott Dixon Partnerships are given time off work to volunteer for the school, charity, or cause of their choice, with the aim of giving something back to the local community.

The construction and maintenance company's local workforce have shown their support for the local community and provided assistance to good causes to good causes across the Birmingham area.

Volunteering efforts take place as part of the company's 'Community Day' initiative which pledges to offer support to community groups and organisations which operate in the local area where the company is working.

Willmott Dixon Partnerships is currently working with Birmingham City Council to repair and maintain 60,000 properties in the city. It's two contracts for the north and south of the city includes the areas of Edgbaston, Hall Green, Northfield, Selly Oak, Ladywood, Erdington, Perry Bar and Sutton Coldfield. It aims to reduce the cost of this service by £47m over the five year terms of the two contracts.

The company-wide scheme has already enabled team members from the company's branches in the north and south of the city to carry out improvements at Acorns Children's Hospice Trust and a local community garden.

Richard Freeman, Willmott Dixon's Customer and Community Officer for Birmingham south, was one of the volunteers who helped with the project. He said, "We are always keen to leave a lasting legacy and give something back to the areas where we are working. Willmott Dixon already has a relationship with the hospice, having previously raised money and carried out decorating and electrical work last year, but the hospice is such a fantastic facility offering much needed support and care to children and their families that we wanted to help once more.

"The projects helped to develop the skills of our apprentices and offered excellent experience for our work placement students, as well as providing us with the opportunity to give something back to the local community. I would urge other organisations to do what they can to offer their support and help their local community."

Willmott Dixon Partnerships managing director, Mick Williamson said: "As a business we have a corporate social responsibility to give what we can back to the local community and are keen to support the charitable efforts of our staff members wherever possible. The Community Day scheme provides an opportunity for our staff to actively make a difference to worthwhile projects they are passionate about, when they may not have the chance to do so in their own time. Many of them already act as volunteers in their local communities and we wanted to make it even easier for them to do so, and recognise it as part of their lives. The Big Society may be a new idea for many UK organisations but we have been supporting it for years."

Willmott Dixon Group is one of the UK's largest privately-owned capital works, regeneration and support services companies.

With over 158 years of experience, the company provides services within the built environment to Government, registered social landlords, local authorities and private sector clients throughout the UK.

Willmott Dixon Partnerships works with social housing landlords, currently providing support services to over 120,000 homes, 1,200 public buildings and 50 commercial properties across the UK.