A group of teens from Burton and Swadlincote have been spreading smiles across the area as they carried out random good deeds, after raising more than £1,200.
The group, most of who have just finished their GCSEs at John Port School and the Pingle Academy, have been carrying out fund-raising activities for the past three weeks as part of a National Citizen Service scheme.
The team have been handing out sweets to children and flowers to adults in the street, loading parking meters and vending machines with money and passing kind messages to strangers.
Over the past few weeks, the team has been hard at work raising funds for good causes. Members of the group decided they wanted to raise money for the Derby branch of the RSPCA, and after raising more money than expected they decided to spend the rest of the cash carrying out good deeds in the community.
The team have carried out a car wash in Church Broughton, raising £155; renovated Honey Pots Nursery in Swadlincote, adding another £150, and spent three days bag packing at Asda, in Burton, which brought the total to £1,218.73.
The 14-person team, named Prosperity, is one of three groups undertaking projects run by the North Staffordshire YMCA over the summer.
On Tuesday, August 15, the team headed down to the RSPCA to present £1,000 to staff. The rest of the cash was used to fund the group's good deeds.
Team leader Sophie Thorp said: "On Wednesday morning, the team visited Bridge Court Nursing Home in Burton to hold a quiz and give away prizes.
"We were hoping that it would cheer up residents and help to break down barriers between young people and the elderly."
The four-week summer programme consists of a two-week residential stay where the teams carry out team-building activities and build on various life skills.
The second two weeks are what is known as 'social action'. The group can choose any area of their community they would like to improve over the final two weeks.
Sophie added: "I'm very proud of the group and all of the work they've put in over the last four weeks, but particularly in making a difference to their local area of the last two weeks."
On Friday August 18, the group volunteered their time at Queen Street Community Centre, in Burton, to give a helping hand tidying up the garden area and giving a facelift to indoor areas.
The team was made up of leader Sophie Thorp, Emelia Joyce, Helen Chamberlain, Clara Elton, Laila Chaplin, Ellie-Mae Redfern, Ethan Wilson, Hamzah Masood, Arun Banwait, Maia Rigby, Ellie Shillito, Aleesha Johal and Pip Magee. The fourteenth member of the group had to drop out for personal reasons.
What is the National Citizen Service?
The National Citizen Service, which has been set up by the government, is open to all 16 and 17-year-olds in England.
Schemes run in the spring, summer and autumn, bringing together young people from different backgrounds. It encourages personal and social development teaching teens important life skills.
Participants are expected to create and develop a social action project to deal with a local issue they are passionate about and spend 30 hours putting the project into action within their community.
More than 275,000 young people have already taken part in the scheme, since it was launched in 2011.
