TESCO staff are showing every little helps.

Stepping Stones, based at the Wilson Marriage Centre in Colchester, which supports mainstream children and those with additional needs, is undergoing a garden and sensory area revamp, thanks to Tesco staff.

A team volunteers will tidy, paint and replace parts of the slide and paint a new wall mural in the garden and create a mini supermarket.

They will also redecorate a large section of the sensory room which was affected by water damage due to lead being stolen from the roof.

Lyn Rabitt, community champion at Tesco Highwoods, said: “Our store has had an association with Stepping Stones for over three years.

“I paid a visit and was overwhelmed by the amazing care and commitment of all the staff who work there and how happy and full of joy the children were.

“I was shown their lovely big play house and asked if I thought it would be possible to turn it into a mini Tesco for the children to use in role-play.”

It has now turned into a group project with eight other Tesco stores pooling their resources.

Lyn added: “There will now be a whole wall mural in the soft play area inside, a new more gentle and wheelchair accessible slope up to the raised gazebo, the creation of a den area and tidying up and planting the garden area.

“We are so looking forward to doing this, it’s a way of paying back as several members of staff have children who attended Stepping Stones and are fully aware of what a special place it is.”

Community 360 staff also helped out. Nursery co-ordinator Sue Townsend said: “Some lead was stolen from our room and we arrived to find water pouring into the sensory room.

“Cat Wright from Community 360 heard about our situation and contacted us offering the services of her colleague John Livingstone, a talented mural designer.

“John, Cat and Timebank volunteer John Lewis came in and created the most fantastic space design mural.

“Since its reveal the children have had the opportunity to find all the spaceships and aliens scattered across the galaxy. Many of our children have sensory processing depressors and this is now a tranquil place for the children to relax.”