Staff from a Bradford-based company are celebrating a record-year of giving after spending 1,286 days volunteering on community projects – more than ever before.

Time donated through the Yorkshire Building Society (YBS) group’s award-winning ‘Actionteering’ project in 2013 adds up to 9,002 hours.

The scheme gives staff the option to take two days off work each year to volunteer.

Good causes the workers have been involved in range from reading with schoolchildren and constructing and tidying gardens for hospices, to building and repairing paths on nature reserves and painting and decorating animal shelters.

The time given up is a 65 per cent increase on 2012’s total of 781 days, or 5,467 hours.

During 2013, volunteers from the Yorkshire group – including employees from the Yorkshire, Chelsea, Barnsley, Norwich & Peterborough building societies and Accord Mortgages – carried out 247 activities, almost double the 127 projects involved in last year.

YBS corporate responsibility manager Bev Cox said: “All colleagues across the Yorkshire group are encouraged to use their two days’ annual Actionteering leave and help a good cause they care about in their local community.

“We know our volunteers appreciate the opportunity to donate their time, labour and expertise and the satisfaction these projects offer. Many people go on to have lasting and continuing relationships with the causes that they have chosen to support.

“Winning the Community Services prize at the 2014 Mortgage Finance Gazette Awards was further recognition for how Actionteering has expanded across the society and celebrates the enthusiasm of our people towards making a difference in the communities where they live and work.

“We are so pleased that 2013 has been our best year yet, and an improvement on 2012, which had been our most successful 12 months to date.

“Actionteering is now in its sixth year and each year we see an increase in the variety of projects colleagues support, as well as the time they donate.

“The Society and Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation offers financial support to many good causes but colleagues have found that donating their time and talents can bring other benefits.”