A COMMUNITY day at Mountfitchet Maths and Computing College will become an annual event after the inaugural event proved to be a massive success.

Students in year’s seven to nine took part in event as part of Healthy School Week – with the aim of giving something back to the community.

The youngsters threw themselves into a huge variety of activities, including performing songs, poetry and stories at pre-school groups, repairing wickets at the local cricket club, litter picking in the village, hosting a Spanish Day for 150 local primary school children, and refurbishing the college wildlife garden.

The students received praise from many for their efforts, including mothers of pre-school toddlers who were “very impressed with the students, especially two boys who were exceptionally good with the children”.

Gerard Frogley, Stansted’s litter collector, said: “The student litter-pickers did an excellent job and were a credit to the community”.

Also during the day, a group of year nine students designed a mural on the theme of ‘community. Inspired by the work of the late Keith Haring, MMCC’s students explored what ‘community’ means to them, in particular thinking about how they could use a piece of public art to express the college’s ethos of ‘Working together to inspire support and achieve’.

Having produced a final scheme the mural was completed over the last two weeks and is posted on the Haring Foundation’s website.

Headteacher Catherine Anderson said: “We see the college at the heart of the local community and the day will become an annual event where our youngsters will have the opportunity to contribute to the community in as many ways as possible.”