YOUNGSTERS saw first hand how they can improve their community after taking part in a litter pick.

The 30 children – aged between eight and 16 and from south Abingdon – set out in the town on Friday to give it an early Spring clean.

The three-hour litter pick was a scheme organised by the Damascus Youth Project.

Youth worker Gary Hibbins was pleased with the event and said it had been a successful day.

He said: “It is effectively working with the community as a whole to empower young people to be more proactive and take more of a leadership role in their own community.

“They all felt a real sense of ownership afterwards. We heard comments like ‘we should do this again’.”

The project was supported with funding from the South and Vale Community Safety Partnership.