Holes were dug and shrubs planted as youngsters from Noak Bridge Primary School showed their community spirit.

The children met members of the Noak Bridge Community Association and helped renovate the marshy land around a pond near their school in Coppice Lane.

The ongoing community project, to give the pond a facelift, was made possible after a successful bid for funding by the association to the Cleanaway Pitsea Marshes Trust.

Ron Francis, a committee member of the association, said: "The pond has been in need of attention for some time."

He added: "This project presented a great chance for the community to pull together."

Shirley Scammell, headteacher at the primary school, added: "At the school we are trying to work with the community association more and more."

Pond in the community - Stevie Douglas and Samantha Page help out with the project

Picture: LUAN MARSHALL

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.