Mitzvah Day founder Laura Marks believes this year’s event was bigger and better than ever with more than 800 projects across the country.

Synagogues and organisations did their bit on the good deeds day on Sunday with more than 70 groups in the borough of Barnet taking part.

In its seventh year, the Jewish charity joined up with multi-faith venture ‘A Year of Service’ in a bid to branch out to people of other religions.

Mrs Marks visited a number of Mitzvah Day events on Sunday, including tree planting in St Albans and a residential home for people with special needs in Golders Green.

She said: “It reminds me why I do it and tells me I can make a difference to other people by giving a bit of my time.

“I hope the relationships we built among people of all different faiths will continue. One of the biggest things about Mitzvah Day is what you get out of it, as well as what you put in.

“It was upbeat, exciting and positive – people are just delighted to be working together. I think there is a real sense of hope that the faith community at large can build strong links within the community.”

Jewish organisations across the world joined in and Mrs Marks heard about projects taking place as far away as Australia, Israel and the United States.

Now in its seventh year, its founder hopes the charitable day will go from strength to strength.

She said: “I may have initiated it but it belongs to the people who take part every year and make it happen. I hope that it is going towards the collective effort we are all making to create a better society.

“The things we do on the day are wonderful but the longer term impact is much more than that.”