CHILDREN from two Carlisle schools are making pots of joy to bring smiles to residents near their school.

Youngsters at Kingmoor Infant and Kingmoor Junior School in Lowry Hill, are taking part in the annual Give A Day to the city event - backed by Kingmoor Consulting.

This year's event takes place from Sunday, June 30 to Saturday, July 6.

Emma Aimers, of Kingmoor Consulting, said: "I was a primary school teacher for 18 years but had to retire due to ill health.

"Give A Day is my way of staying in touch with education and children.

"Our firm, Kingmoor Consulting, started up because of my illness. My husband, Colin, needed more flexibility as never knew when I’d be ill. Three years on and we've never looked back.

"Colin has worked and funded three projects at the Eden Valley Hospice.

"This year, he designed the new skate track - which will hopefully be in Raffles - and I’m working with children at Kingmoor Infant and Junior Schools doing various projects all funded by our company.

"The infants and Year 3 Juniors are doing pots of joy. Year 4 are designing the 50th school anniversary CD cover and distributing them. Year 5 have been doing litter picks and Year 6 are doing a thrifty fifty where we’ve given each class £100 and they have to make as much money as they can with it. The excess money goes to charity. The £100 buys something for the next year’s Year 6 to use in their classroom.

"More than 600 children are involved.

"Andy Fearon - the man behind Give A Day - has been doing an assembly at both schools this year explaining all the scheme and projects on offer."

Mr Fearon first presented the idea to a group of businessmen at a Carlisle Ambassadors meeting in 2015.

He said: "What if everyone in our city took whatever they were good at, whatever they were passionate about, whatever skill they had, whatever was in their hand and gave it to our city for a day?"

A good few in the room were inspired after Mr Fearon's initial talk. His first pilot project was launched in June 2015 when local businessman, Paul Rheinbach, oversaw the renovation of a local football club's changing rooms.

Mr Fearon said: "We’re simply asking our city - “What’s in your hands?” “What are you passionate about?” “How could you give that away?” and inviting our city to come gather around a week dedicated to giving a day to the city."

Between June and October 2015 12 different projects were piloted.

Mr Fearon said: "Some were very practical - like the building of an all access road, others were to inspire our city's future business leaders and still others to encourage the staff of our local NHS hospital. But each of them was an act of generosity, given for the benefit of others in our city.

"Give A Day 2016 took place in June of that year. Given that this was just six months on from the devastation caused in the city by Storm Desmond, many projects focused on recovery work. Fourteen projects were delivered, ranging from clearing stones from the football pitches of the Sheepmount, refurbishing the skate park to renovating three uninsured flood-affected properties and hosting a street party for the Queen's 90th Birthday.

"Year on year, we've developed the concept further, but our aim is simple - for Carlisle to be a generous and great city."

* There are several projects going on throughout the week. These include a litter pick in Heysham Park, Raffles; a Portland Square Spruce-Up and a revamp of Harker Grange. To find the full list and to get involved visit http://giveadaytothecity.org/joinaproject