THOUSANDS of people across Harrow and Brent took part in a day of volunteering yesterday.

Mitzvah Day and Sewa Day saw residents supporting those in need by collecting second hand clothes or improving the world around them with community clean ups and flower planting.

The two days, promoted by the Jewish and Hindu faiths, are supported by the Harrow Times and our news team helped transform a rundown play area at Meryfield Community Primary School, in Borehamwood.

Barry Gardiner, MP for Brent North, went to five separate events and described the collective effort as “absolutely extraordinary”.

He said: “This is the first national Sewa Day. It's very much a principle of Hinduism that you do your service to the community but I think this is the first time they have really co-ordinated across the country.

“It was a huge, huge success.”

A daffodil and bluebell planting in Fryent Country Park was among the projects Mr Gardiner attended, as was a Brent Indian Association (BIA) event which saw young people entertaining the elderly.

Edgware and District Synagogue pitched in to help Friends of Canons Park clean up the Spinney woodland walk.

Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue raised money for a variety of good causes, sending clothes and knitting blankets for the people in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

Synagogue members also had a shopathon for the homeless at the Broadwalk Centre, in Edgware.

Jacqui Rudolf, vice-chairman of Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue, said: “People were amazingly generous.

“You don't know with something like this who is going to come out and it was a very positive day. It was very much across the age groups.”

Norma Brier, chief executive of Stanmore charity Norwood, helped paint a day room and part of a corridor at the organisation's residential care home, in Finchley Central.