MORE than 100 student volunteers from Eden Boys’ School headed to a cemetery to help tidy up their community.

Armed with rakes, trowels, shovels, wheelbarrows and buckets all provided by B&Q they started on their mammoth clean-up community service project at Heaton Cemetery.

The students from the Wolfenden Street school put their ‘STAR’ values into action as part of their Active Citizenship Project.

Wahida Zaeem, the teacher who co-ordinated the day, commented said: "Service, Teamwork, Ambition and Respect were all needed to get the job done, and done with the sort of reverence, dedication and community spirit that typifies the school community and Boltonians alike."

The clean-up operation also formed part of a project between Eden Boys’ School, Bolton and BCoM, Bolton Council of Mosques, which aims to work together for a more effective and harmonious community.

Mr Zaeem added: “It was wonderful to see the students from Eden Boys’ School, Bolton giving something back to their community.

"Service to communities is an integral part of our school’s mission and our boys try to live these values every day.

"We were extremely grateful that our local B&Q donated the necessary tools to BCoM who helped us to co-ordinate the project and to our boys who were magnificent on the day. Their efforts left the cemetery very clean and their collective spirits lifted!”

Year 10 Pupil, Usman Khan, said: “Visiting the cemetery and paying respect to the deceased is very important in our faith. It was a calming and peaceful experience, which allowed me to reflect a lot.

"The day has also encouraged me to complete more voluntary work in the future as participating in the community is beneficial not just to me, but to everyone.”