The gardens around St Margaret's Hospice in Taunton have had a post-summer spruce-up.

It was carefully tended to by a team of volunteers from National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED).

Eight staff members from the company left their electrical equipment behind and picked up gardening tools as part of a community volunteering initiative.

The team, from Taunton and Crewkerne, spent a day weeding the courtyard garden and its paths, painting lattice privacy screens between patients’ verandas, and applying protective coatings to wooden planters.

NGED volunteer Andrea Grindrod said: "It was a privilege to spend the day at St Margaret’s Hospice and to help them with the upkeep of their lovely gardens.

"The hospice is highly regarded locally and most of us volunteers have a connection to the charity and the amazing work they do."

Fellow volunteer Ryan Aspinall added: "I didn’t have to think twice about lending my time and effort for such a worthy cause.

"It was a truly rewarding day and we all look forward to returning very soon."

Kevin Plumridge, volunteering development manager at St Margaret’s Hospice Care, said: "We are deeply grateful to NGED for their continued support.

"Our hospices in Taunton and Yeovil are known for their tranquil, beautifully maintained gardens that offer a peaceful retreat for everyone.

"Our gardeners work hard to keep the surroundings in top condition, and the assistance of volunteers like the NGED team is invaluable in helping to achieve this."

Their efforts provided the hospice with the equivalent of eight days of work.

NGED launched an employee volunteering programme for its 1,600 staff in the South West earlier this year.

The company is committed to supporting regional charities and organisations by delivering more than 14,000 employee volunteering hours every year until 2030.