A RUN-DOWN play area at a Borehamwood primary school has been transformed by volunteers from the Times and Independent Series as part of Mitzvah Day, a Jewish-led initiative that encourages people of all faiths to donate their time to charity.

Meryfield Community Primary School, in Theobald Street, was selected from a dozen finalists to win a team of volunteers on Sunday, November 21, in the Times and Independent Series Mitzvah Day competition.

Yesterday a team of journalists helped convert a paved concrete area into a green learning environment.

The team included assistant editor Francine Wolfisz and husband Alister, assistant editor Tim Jones, reporters Suruchi Sharma and Natalie O’Neill, content editor Kerry Allan and volunteers Ponny Green, Hayley Posener and Debbie Talson.

The group spent the day weeding, painting walls, sanding down and varnishing benches, installing a shed and laying down soil for planting trees and flowers.

Teacher Rita Cooper said: “It was absolutely amazing work. The children when they came in and saw what had been done were so excited.

“The area was not in a good state and we would not have been able to tackle it on our own.

“I was very surprised when I initially got the call but am very happy we were chosen. Thank you to everyone that helped out and to the Times Series for all their efforts.”

Project organiser and assistant editor Fran Wolfisz said: "The Times and Independent Series is fully committed to the principles behind Mitzvah Day and we were more than happy to roll our sleeves up, dig in and help provide a wonderful wildlife area for Meryfield School.

"Everyone worked extremely hard on the day for this worthwhile project. We hope the children enjoy their new green space for many years to come.

"We would also like to extend a huge thanks to the many local companies that so generously donated a number of items to the project."

Among the companies that provided help on the day was Arbour Design & Build, run by Borehamwood resident Richard Bickler, 35, who provided his services for free. His team provided much of the hard labour involved in the project, including helping to dig up concrete and paving stones.

Mr Bickler started his company in 1995 and attended Meryfield as a Sunday school student more than 30 years ago.

He said: "I saw the article in the Borehamwood & Elstree Times and I thought, why not help out? I had helped with another project called Dimensions, in Elstree, where we provided labour and materials at cost price and also some free labour.

“It has been 30 odd years since I went to the school. I was five or six and it certainly wasn’t as well looked after as it is now.

"It's a great project and I was glad to be of help."

Pets At Home, based in the Borehamwood Shopping Park, in Theobald Street, also helped the Mitzvah Day project by donating essentials for keeping rabbits, bird tables and insect boxes, while nearby Wickes donated paint and varnish equipment.

Mill Hill Garden Centre, in Daws Lane, Mill Hill, which also supported the Times and Independent Series Mitzvah Day project last year, generously donated fruit trees, plants, topsoil, a pergola and small shed.

Andrew Londero, from the centre, said: "We donated some extra things this year as it was just plants and shrubs needed last year in the project in East Finchley.

"It is important for businesses to help out in the community as much as possible and I hope we helped towards this event as much as we could."

Jones Skip Hire, in Potters Bar, donated a skip for rubble and concrete, while Shoots Garden Centre, in Common Road, Stanmore, donated bags of multi-purpose compost. Thompsons of Crews Hill, in Enfield, also gave three huge bags of topsoil towards the project.

A big thank you to our Mitzvah Day project sponsors:

Arbour Design & Build: 0208 953 6177, 07702 011 145, www.arbourdesign.co.uk

Pets At Home, Borehamwood Shopping Centre: 020 8953 5528, www.petsathome.com

Wickes, Borehamwood Shopping Centre: www.wickes.co.uk, 020 8953 2500

Mill Hill Garden Centre, Daws Lane, Mill Hill: 020 8906 4255, www.thegardencentregroup.co.uk

Jones Skip Hire: 07958 234 252, 0800 008 6911, www.skiphirenorthlondon.net

Shoots, Common Road, Stanmore: 01903 892006, www.shoots.co.uk

Thompsons of Crews Hill: 0208 363 1383 www.thompsonsofcrewshill.com