Douglas Council is teaming up with charity Beach Buddies as two schools plan a clear-up of their grounds.

Volunteers from Beach Buddies, which primarily cleans up the island’s coastline, will help pupils to tidy up the grounds at Anagh Coar and Manor Park schools.

It is part of the Love Where You Live campaign by Keep Britain Tidy, which aims to bring communities together and respect their environment.

On March 23, Beach Buddies will be working alongside pupils from Anagh Coar and Manor Park schools to clean up their school grounds, supported by volunteers from the council and Isle of Man Friends of the Earth.

The following day, March 24, will see Beach Buddies and their supporters join the pupils’ parents and the wider Pulrose and Anagh Coar community on a litter-clearing session.

Beach Buddies hopes to expand the project to cover every school in the island, asking all 15,000 school children and their families to take part during the Year of Our Island 2018.

Charity founder Bill Dale said: ’The aim of the project is to set a precedent in the British Isles by engaging with everyone in the community across the island to take part in two major events each year, to clear up existing litter hotspots and then to keep on top of the problem regularly in the future.’

Isle of Man Friends of the Earth coordinator Pete Christian said: ’Isle of Man Friends of the Earth are delighted to support this joint initiative in taking practical steps to improve one important aspect of our environment.’

The council’s environmental services committee chairman Ritchie McNicholl added: ’Litter is very much a community problem that demands a community response. Our street cleansing teams do all they can, but the council alone cannot rid the town of litter - to achieve that, it has to be a shared endeavour.

’It’s about changing attitudes and behaviour and encouraging communities to develop a strong sense of civic pride.’