So this is what it was all about! Meet the South Tyneside youngsters who have spread messages of love and hope

Drivers in the area have been returning to their cars to find ‘bags of hope’ on their windscreens.

The bags contained everything from a plaster to a piece of string, a diamond to a heart and a star to some glitter and each had a reason for being included.

The message in the bag said;

"A plaster - to heal you when you hurt.”

“A diamond - to bring a sparkle to your eye.”

“A heart - to show someone cares.”

“A star - to make a wish upon.”

“A piece of string - to tie up all your worries.”

“Some glitter - to brighten up your day.”

“A water balloon - to have some fun with!”

Now take a look at the superb team behind the initiative. Darren Weldon; Ewan Savory; Tom Richardson; Milly Miles; Ellie Middleton; Faye Slater are a group of 16 and 17 year olds who spent the summer working with the National Citizens Service and the NCS Area Lead at Groundwork North East Tom Goundry explained more.

Tom said: "The team have come together during their summer and shown a real 'no we can' attitude.

“Their own plans were halted by Covid-19, but that hasn't stopped them trying to help others."

He said that ‘after a tough few months we could all do with a little bit of happiness right now.”

In the last few months, the team of six have had their school year cut short, were unable to meet up with mates during lockdown, and had their proms and festivals cancelled.

But they still decided to do their bit for the community and spread a little bit of love across the area.

The teens had signed up to the NCS ‘Keep Doing Good’ programme, where they could organise their own projects and help support organisations such as food banks, care homes and charities.

Getting crafty, the team of six quickly got busy printing out positive messages to go alongside their 'bags of hope'.

But their efforts didn’t end there.

They also put together 'bee kind' bracelets, with an accompanying kind message saying ‘Close your eyes and make a wish, then place this bracelet on your wrist. When the cord frays and wears through, that is when your wish comes true.’

One team member said: "It's been a tough time for everyone so we wanted to carry out a number of small, random acts of kindness, the type of thing that would brighten someone's day just a little bit. It's been great to see residents in South Shields finding our gifts and sharing it on social media."

NCS are running another free programme during that autumn half-term which 16 and 17 year olds can sign up to. It offers a chance to build new skills, meet new people and give back to the community. To find out more visit wearencs.com/autumn

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