LORNSHILL ACADEMY pupils have embarked on an impressive mission to raise money for Poppy Scotland’s 1918 Poppy Pledge.

There has been a real focus on what makes a good citizen at the school, with all S1 pupils being involved in the school’s citizenship programme.

The youngsters wanted to display their commitment to the ideas of citizenship, and so it was decided that every pupil in first year at Lornshill would be signed up to Poppy Scotland's 1918 Poppy Pledge.

These volunteers have one simple mission: to raise at least £1,918 for Poppy Scotland throughout the course of the year.

By reaching their target, pupils will be contributing to Poppy Scotland's target of raising £500,000 for ex-servicemen and women and their families as a way of commemorating the centenary of the end of World War One.

How they raise the money is up to the pupils, but there have been some excellent ideas so far from a sponsored hike to a charity football match, and from coffee mornings to bag packing.

Pupils will work throughout the remainder of this year on their projects, with the final amount being counted on Remembrance Day in November 11.

Adele McCulloch, one of the pupils taking part, said: “We love working with people in a group that we don’t always work with. It’s good to give back and raise some money because it is really great to be fundraising for Poppy Scotland.”

Another pupil, Emily Jane Denney, added: “We like that we are helping people in the community with things that they may not be able to do themselves. We like that we can take this opportunity to make other people happy."

Daniel Scruton, a history teacher at the school who is overseeing the fundraising, feels the pupils have really taken the campaign to heart.

He said: “This Poppy Pledge is a fantastic way for our pupils to display their commitment to being good citizens, commemorate the end of the First World War, and raise money for a very worthy cause.

“The buzz around S1 for these projects has been amazing, and the ideas and enthusiasm for the projects shows a real understanding of the importance of being part of the Poppy Pledge. We can’t wait to see how the work of S1 goes.”