Pictured: Team Leader Jenny Rust (foreground) is pictured with her Midcounties Co-operative colleagues at the garden challenge at the Haven refuge in Wolverhampton

Residents at a Wolverhampton refuge for women and children affected by domestic violence were overwhelmed by the kindness of volunteers who transformed their garden and play area.

Store managers from community retailer The Midcounties Co-operative raised £2,000 to buy lawn turf, plants and play equipment and then spent the day turning a drab area into inviting outdoor space.

The refuge is one of five run by The Haven Wolverhampton. The 22-strong team took up the challenge because Midcounties' charity partner is Women's Aid, the key national charity working to end domestic violence against women and children.

District Manager Mark Ralph of Midcounties said: "It is the first time we have carried out a challenge at a refuge and it was so rewarding. It was hard work laying 400 square metres of turf and building steps to the lawn, but there was great camaraderie too.

"The women and staff from the refuge gave us a hand with assembling the play equipment. They really appreciated our efforts.

"We had told them we would be laying a lawn, but the swing, slide, trampoline and other equipment was a big surprise for them."

Palie Dulai, Fundraising Officer at The Haven, said: "It was absolutely amazing to see what the Midcounties team achieved and we cannot thank them enough. It really touched the staff and women at the refuge who were close to tears that people were thinking about them and wanted to help.

"We now have a lovely garden and an area where the women can grow their own vegetables."

The ten room family refuge has been in use since 1976 and is the charitable organisation's oldest refuge. It had been refurbished and extended but the garden was little more than dirt and gravel.

The Haven Wolverhampton provides safe, temporary, emergency accommodation and support services to women and dependent children affected by domestic violence and homelessness. It works closely with Women's Aid.

Midcounties colleagues are raising money to support the work of Women's Aid nationally and eleven local services that operate within its trading areas, including refuges at Wolverhampton, Walsall, Shropshire, Wyre Forest, Warwickshire, Wycombe, Oxfordshire, The Forest of Dean and Gloucestershire.

Colleagues are also giving their time to volunteering projects and getting involved in campaign work to support Women's Aid.

The Midcounties Co-operative has an extensive colleague volunteer programme that takes on all types of challenges to assist local people and organisations and to help the participants to develop personally and as a team. Each colleague can spend up to three days a year on volunteering activity as part of their paid work time

Last year across Midcounties' trading areas they delivered 26,000 hours of support in response to local needs.