When Monkton Priory Community Primary School's frontage and grounds were looking like they needed a little care and attention, school staff turned to Valero's Volunteer Council (VVC) for willing hands able to help out.

The school contacted the VVC, having seen previous volunteer work carried out when the team painted the nearby Monkton Community Centre. The task was led by Mark Taylor, a Control Centre co-ordinator at Valero's refinery, whose wife is the admin officer for the school.

He managed to round up a team of 18 volunteers who put in 144 hours of work between them.

Taylor said: "We set ourselves the task of improving the appearance of the grounds and making maintenance easier for the caretaker and we certainly made a difference. I didn't realise that doing volunteer work could be so much fun and personally satisfying."

He hopes to gather another team of volunteers to go back and build on the work achieved some time in the new year.

Shelley Morris, headteacher, said: "We really appreciate the hard work; it is unbelievable how much they achieved in one day and their efforts have enhanced the whole building."