THE value of volunteering is being championed across Hampshire on Friday as part of Give & Gain Day.

It is the world’s only day of employee volunteering run by the Prince of Wales’s charity Business in the Community.

Give & Gain encourages businesses and their employees to spend a working day helping good causes in their local community. Now in its eighth year, over 25,000 people are expected to take part.

Community organisations and schools in Southampton are amongst those that are set to benefit from Give & Gain Day with activities including at Aldermoor Farm, Southampton where 20 employees from Morgan Sindall will creating a pond and building a polytunnel.

St Marks Primary School, Shirley, will see employees from Whiteley based Matchtech transforming the outdoor grounds whilst ba makeover will also be taking place at the Polygon School, Southampton, where sensory plants will be planted to create a more relaxing and quiet environment for pupils who attend the school.

Volunteers from B&Q’s head office in Chandlers Ford will be working at The Ropewalk Garden to help maintain the site.