Northern Ireland's Social Development Minister has joined a team of volunteers to help spruce up the Trojan Mobile at the New Model Farm, in Downpatrick.

The team, from the Department for Social Development, painted the building and tidied the grounds around the mobile, which is used by over 300 local people every week from a variety of community groups.

The event is the first of 10 challenges which DSD staff will complete this year which have been organised through the Business in the Community (BITC) Cares scheme, which helps employers to set up Employer Supported Volunteering schemes.

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Margaret Ritchie said: "As Minister responsible for volunteering, I want to highlight the important role businesses can play in supporting volunteering among their employees.

"That is why my Department has joined the Business in the Community Cares Scheme, and I would hope to encourage other businesses to follow suit."

She added: "Here in Downpatrick today, we have seen the real difference staff and their employers can make to the lives of local people. We need more people to volunteer and more employers to encourage their staff to volunteer."

(PR/KMcA)