By Alex Wright

BUSINESSES in Mole Valley are being asked to consider letting their employees out of the office to help make a difference in the community.

An action day is being organised by Cares in Surrey, which was formed in July 2000 to create a bridge between charities that need volunteers and companies.

Cares in Surrey is part of Business in the Community, a movement of more than 700 of the UK's top companies committed to making a positive impact on society.

It has joined forces with the Mole Valley Community Safety Partnership. This is, made up of Surrey Police, Surrey County Council and Mole Valley District Council, to give workers the chance to work together in teams to tackle graffiti and litter in Dorking and Leatherhead.

Some of the member companies of Cares in Surrey have already pledged their support for the action day, but as co-ordinator Peter Moxley said: "There is no shortage of work for local businesses, and with the support of a larger number of companies we can make an enormous impact on the area as a whole.

"We are finding that this sort of work gives great satisfaction to the volunteers and makes a real difference to the local environ-ment."

Lynne Martin, community safety co-ordinator from the Community Safety Partnership, said: "Mole Valley is generally a

very safe area, but graffiti can make people feel unsafe. "We are continuously looking at ways to tackle this problem and are delighted to be working in partnership with businesses to do so. "We hope that there will be a lot of support for this initiative."

Supported by the Advertiser, Surrey Police, Mole Valley District Council and Surrey County Council, the Stop Graffiti campaign has gained momentum over the last year.

A team of representatives from the county and district councils, Surrey Police, British Transport Police, rail authorities and local community organisations is now joining forces to deal with the issue.

Increasing numbers of people across the district are reporting

graffiti damage by telephoning the district council or logging onto the Mole Valley District Council website.

The availability of free cleaning kits has also made it easier for residents to remove graffiti from their own property.

The action day is planned for Wednesday May 12.

Further details about the event will be available nearer the time, but businesses are encouraged to register their interest now by contacting Mr Moxley on 01306 873264, or by e-mailing peter.moxley@unumprovident.co .uk Free graffiti cleaning kits are available by calling the district council on 01306 885001, while graffiti damaged sites can be reported on www.molevalley.gov.uk