A leading decorating and DIY specialist in Hackney helped a steel orchestra hit all the right notes by donating materials for its carnival float.

Leyland’s Hackney store, on Balls Pond Road, donated more than £300 worth of materials to the Pantonic Steel Orchestra, including paints, cable ties and hand tools.

The band used the materials to improve its float – and it paid off, with the Pantonic Steel Orchestra picking up second place in the Best Steelband on the Road category at Notting Hill Carnival.

The float, carrying around 40 band members, will be making another appearance at Hackney Carnival on September 22.

Mariana Alexandru, Store Manager at Leyland Hackney, said the team was delighted to help.

“Pantonic Steel Orchestra is well known in the Hackney area and does some great work with young people, so we were delighted to be able to help,” she said.

“We were able to mix specific colours for them to really brighten up their float. We were pleased to hear they did so well at Notting Hill Carnival and look forward to seeing them again in Hackney later this month.”

Founded in 1988, Pantonic Steel Orchestra is a community band that offers young people in the area the chance to keep focussed and express themselves through music. Some members have gone on to enjoy careers within music including within a professional steel band.

The group currently has around 25 members, though more turn out for carnivals and other large events.

Helen Levy, of Pantonic Steel Orchestra, said: “We are all very grateful to the team at Leyland Hackney for their generous donation, which allowed us to make our float much brighter and more vibrant.

“We hadn’t paraded at Notting Hill Carnival for 20 years, so to pick up second place in a competitive category was fantastic.

“Our group exists to give young people the opportunity to enjoy music, but we also help them with any issues or special needs that they might have. It’s a great community.

“We’re currently working on making the float even better for Hackney Carnival, and any materials we have left over will be used to revamp our band yard which is used for practice.”

Leyland stores are found in prominent locations across London, stocking a comprehensive range of products, including paint and decorating essentials, tools, hardware, electrical and plumbing equipment and building materials.