THE beaches, paths and streets of South Cumbria might look a lot tidier after this weekend as two major events are inviting people to get involved in cleaning up rubbish.

To mark this flurry of activity we are taking a look at clean-up projects from The Mail's picture archive.

The Great British Spring Clean, organised by Keep Britain Tidy, officially kicks off on Saturday, March 20, and could see upwards of 500,000 people doing their bit to improve the environment.

The Great Cumbrian Litter Pick takes place on this Friday and Saturday, March 20 to 21.

Friends of the Lake District has organised this year's litter pick as an opportunity for people of all ages to help restore the land to its natural state and remove items which can prove deadly to animals, or clog waterways.

Last year more than 1,000 people joined 50 litter picks across the county and collected almost 300 bags of rubbish.

Youngsters at Pennington and Broughton Schools are due to have their own private events with Cartmel and Newbarns at Barrow among places planning public litter picks.

You can find out more about the events close to you by checking the Friends of the Lake District website, or by calling 01539 720788 or sending an email to ruth-kirk@fld.org.uk

A spokesperson for the friends said: "It's a truly sad fact of life that carelessly chucked-away rubbish is still blighting our beautiful Cumbrian landscapes, clogging and polluting our waterways, affecting our soils, causing harm to creatures that unwittingly ingest it, or become tangled in our discarded debris."

In June 1999 Coniston residents came out in force to take part in the spring clean around the village.

The aim was to improve the visual environment of Coniston and to provide a pleasant place for residents and visitors.

Organiser Anne Pamplin got help from the Women's Institute, students from John Ruskin School and  village residents to clear Lake Road.

In May 1999 Bardsea Women's Institute members Win Bowden and Audrey Davidson were among a group of enthusiasts who helped at an annual  beach clean at Bardsea.

It proved to be a big improvement on the previous year when Mrs Davidson, then the Bardsea WI president, was among a hardy group who gathered beach litter along the edge of the coast road despite driving rain.