By ANN FOTHERINGHAM

NURSERY schoolkids are cleaning up across Glasgow, Streets Ahead-style.

Children and staff at Happy Days Nursery, based in Community Central Hall in Maryhill, were fed up looking at litter and debris on the streets surrounding the venue.

Team leader Jacqueline Hancock explained: “We walk to a local wooded area for outdoor education, and we started to notice just how much rubbish there was on the streets and paths on the way there.

“We decided to do something about it.”

On Valentine’s Day, dozens of local people joined the children and staff, plus representatives from Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Princes Trust.

The clean-up was one of the nursery’s Environmental Schools Charter challenges, a scheme dreamt up by Glasgow City Council to encourage young people to take care of their surroundings. If they complete three environmental challenges each year, they receive a trophy.

More than 90 schools and nurseries have signed up to the scheme, which is backed by the Evening Times Streets Ahead campaign.

Our community campaign, backed by our generous partners City Charitable Trust, Scottish Fire and Rescue, City Building and Glasgow City Council, encourages friends and neighbours to work together to improve their communities.

Children and staff at Nithsdale Road Nursery in Pollokshields have also embraced the campaign, organising regular litter picks in and around their premises.

Head of nursery Annemarie Miller explained: “The children carried out their own litter survey with local residents and organised clean-ups.We got lots of lovely feedback from local people who admired what the children were doing.”

Councillor Kenny McLean, Glasgow’s City Convenor for Neighbourhoods, Housing and Public Realm, said: “The pupils are tackling an array of eco projects including litter surveys, community clean ups and growing projects as part of the Charter. The energy and enthusiasm they’re investing is outstanding and in the true spirit of the Evening Times Streets Ahead campaign.”