Matthew Bullock rolled up his sleeves to provide a helping hand to N&P's staff charity East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH) at the Milton hospice, near Cambridge on Monday, September 22.

Mr Bullock was assisted in the spruce-up by his secretary, Elaine Allwood and seven other members of staff, including Werrington branch financial planner Simon Blanchard, Alex Stanley and Laura Nightingale from the human resources team at Lynch Wood and IT analyst Rodney Crabb, who is also based at the society's Lynch Wood offices.

They got out their trowels and gardening gloves to spend the day tidying the gardens of the hospice ahead of its Memory Day service – which is held every year for parents who have lost a child to to celebrate their lives. The service is held in a marquee in the hospice grounds so it is important that the gardens look their best.

As part of N&P's support for EACH, staff volunteered their services to the charity for free while still being paid by N&P.

But this is the first time the chief executive has taken part in a volunteering event.

Mr Bullock said: "I was happy to make time to volunteer for such a worthy cause. It was good to see the facilities available at the hospice, and we all came away with a much greater understanding of the work EACH does."

EACH supports families with children who have life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses. N&P adopted EACH as its staff charity in May 2007, and has raised more than £60,000 for the cause.

EACH corporate fund-raiser Sally Cassels said: "The N&P team did a great job and we were especially pleased to have Matthew join us. Volunteers play a very important part in helping the charity continue to do its work."