A GROUP of students have helped to bring a decrepit school library back into use.

National Citizen Service (NCS) students last week called up staff at Newtown School, asking them if they could help them with anything.

The programme is open to those aged between 15 and 17 and helps to provide teenagers with new experiences and builds their confidence.

The grateful response from the school was that their library needed some work, after it had been out of action for about a year.

Paint was falling off the walls and the far end of the room was blocked, but the students have now given the space a new lease of life.

Katie Perry, 16, of Brookside said: "It is local to me, I came here as a kid. We wanted to help, because they haven't had a library since I was here.

"It is quite a deprived area, so not a lot of kids have the opportunity to get books that are new.

"It is nice for them to have a place to read and chill."

Chloe Taylor, 16, of Kirkbampton, added: "It is something that will impact the kids for a long time.

"They now have a nice environment for the kids to read in."

Team assistant for the Carlisle NCS group, Connie Bowman, 20, said: "NCS is super important. It makes them more prepared for leaving school.

"It also a chance to make new friends and to enjoy the outdoors."

The programme is split into four stages, split into adventure, discovery, social action and discovery.

Victoria Moore, assistant headteacher at the school, commented: "Reading for pleasure and escape is close to everyone's heart at Newtown.

"Due to budget cuts, any funds raised by our generous school community have been spent on high quality, current literature.

"We are absolutely delighted that the NCS chose our school library to decorate and transform this summer.

"Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the NCS group, our children will have a school library that they can enjoy visiting day after day."