Members of Egremont’s Youth Partnership have rolled up their sleeves and made a difference to their town, by taking it upon themselves to clean up the streets.

The young people told youth leaders that they did not want to get bored when school ended, so they asked if they could clean up the area outside their centre, then extended the clean up to the shops – which has delighted passers-by and local shopkeepers.

Kelly Kirkbride, manager of Lad Barber, said: “Egremont youth partnership kindly cleaned, deweeded and donated flower pots to many of Egremont’s local businesses.As a local business manager myself I would like for the young people to be recognised and praised for their generosity and kindness. It is great to see the young people of Egremont using their spare time to help the community and local businesses have kerb appeal.

“Praise where praise is due as most people of the community like to blame the young people for the wrong in the town but do not seem to praise the kids for the good which they do in the town.

“Thank you to the young people for all of your hard work.”

One of the young people from the centre said: “I decided that I wanted the local community to be tidier and that the residents of the town should benefit from a tidier town.”

Another young person wanted “to show that we are proud of our town.”

James Bowden, from Egremont Youth Partnership said: “As school year ended a couple of year 11 boys came to the youth centre and asked if they do something as they didn’t want to get bored when they left school.

“They began by cleaning the outside of the youth centre. They took pride in their centre and took all day to clean it up.

“A local councillor asked if they could carry on the hard work from the youth centre and extend it to the shops, they have deweeded and picked up rubbish over a large area and worked their hearts out to look after their town.

“Passers by have commented how well they were doing and shop keepers said what a good job they were doing too.

“This is a group of between two and six mainly young men aged 16, school leavers that are trying to keep themselves active and do good for their centre and the town.

“They are a credit to the centre. They work hard all year round and the lasses work hard all year round too.”