Essex and Suffolk Water volunteers help Museum of Power

They took part through the water company’s Just an Hour scheme.

The scheme allows employees to volunteer during work hours for causes in their communities.

Their tasks included spreading bark chippings in the museum gardens, helping with event planning and supporting promotional activities for the year ahead.

Nicola Laver, customer and community engagement manager at Essex and Suffolk Water, said: "Just an Hour is a fantastic opportunity to step away from our day-to-day roles and give something back to organisations doing valuable work in our communities.

"Our day at the Museum of Power was really rewarding because we were able to combine practical volunteering with the skills we use every day in our jobs.

"From helping maintain the grounds to supporting communications and event planning, it felt great to know we were making a positive contribution."

The volunteers also helped organise the museum’s historic archives by sorting and cataloguing documents, plans and exhibits.

The Museum of Power relies on volunteers and community support to preserve its industrial heritage and keep the site running for visitors.

The volunteering day helped the museum with projects which would otherwise take significant time and resources to complete.

Essex and Suffolk Water’s Just an Hour scheme has supported a variety of community causes over the years, including environmental projects, educational schemes and charity fundraising.

By encouraging teams to volunteer during the working day, the programme helps community organisations access valuable skills and support.