FOR one group of enthusiastic school children one Big Clean just wasn't enough.

Year Six pupils from South Walney Junior School were so keen to clean up their island that, with a bit of help from their teachers, they split themselves into two groups and made their mark on two problem areas.

While one posse hit Vickerstown Park and an area called the Den, near Tummerhill where they play, the other group targeted the beach.

After around two hours of hard graft, Walney's Bigger Bank was a lot cleaner and, while the children and teachers were a lot less so, everyone had the satisfaction of knowing they had completed a job well done.

This was the third (and fourth) Big Clean of the Evening Mail's 2017 campaign to make our community a much tidier and more litter-free place.

South Walney Junior School deputy head and Year Six teacher, Michelle Banks said, for them, being part of the Big Clean was about getting the children out and about in the community and giving something back.

She said: "It is also the idea about why we don't litter and it's impact on their environment. And to their actual locality too - we have come straight to their playgrounds and beach. I think it's really important for them to see the impact on the place where they live."

Despite the hard work, the school has just had SATs so it was a chance for the teachers to add to the curriculum, making it exciting and interesting and keeping them busy until the summer, she said.

It was also giving the children something worthwhile to do and putting the fun factor back into education after they had worked so hard on maths and English and so on.

Just as importantly, Mrs Banks added: "Doing things like this benefits the whole school, by the Year Six being role models to the younger ones."

This year's Evening Mail Big Clean campaign has again been boosted by the continued backing of sponsors Centrica Engergy and key partner Kimberly-Clark, along with key partner Kimberly-Clark, and Barrow Borough Council.

NEXT WEEK: South Walney Junior School moves in to clean up the park and the Den.