A group of volunteers has been creating a public art display, helping to entertain Birmingham school groups and the local community by forming a human sundial.

Graduates from npower’s offices in Solihull and Swindon spent a day creating the display at Edgbaston Reservoir, a 29.5-hectare recreation ground in Birmingham.

The group calculated where the shadows would fall at certain times of day and placed recycled mosaic slabs around a central pedestal where the human “clock hands” could stand and tell the time.

The Graduate Volunteers Day saw npower graduates support seven projects near to its operations across the UK, as part of a Volunteering England initiative to encourage staff to support projects in their local community through its employee volunteering scheme.

Grace Smith, team leader from npower, said: “The human sundial has certainly been a first for our volunteer groups, but hopefully it won’t be the last!

“The reservoir is an excellent resource for the local community and it is a perfect setting for projects like this, giving the team an opportunity to meet and work with visitors on a one-to-one level.”

Councillor Martin Mullaney, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Sport and Culture, said: “It’s great when the community gets together and gives their own time to create something special. It’s been a fun day and a wonderful opportunity to get the schoolchildren involved and put their maths into practice.”