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Brothers use summer holiday to bring a shine to street signs

Emma OrrBBC News NI
BBC Two children smile at the camera while standing behind a "Churchill Avenue" street sign. One wears a light blue T-shirt and the other a black T-shirt. They have their arms around each other's shoulders, with a checkered cloth draped over the sign and a yellow cloth resting on it. The photo was taken outdoors on a bright, sunny day with a large tree, green grass, a fence, and nearby houses in the background.BBC
Jonah and Eli are trying to make "Millisle shine" this summer

Meet the young brothers hoping to give their seaside village the shiniest street signs in Northern Ireland.

Schoolboys Jonah and Eli have been spending their summer holiday scrubbing signs, all in the name of civic pride.

Armed with rubber gloves, cleaning cloths, sponges and soapy water, the pair have been removing years of dirt and grime on the street signs of Millisle, County Down, to make them clearer and more visible.

While working with family isn't always easy, Jonah and Eli are scrubbing their way through their own challenge of cleaning 50 street signs before they go back to school.

Two children are cleaning a street sign that reads "Churchill Avenue." One child, wearing a light blue shirt, wipes the sign with a checkered cloth, while the other, dressed in a black shirt and wearing yellow rubber gloves, scrubs the sign with a sponge. They are standing beside a grassy verge next to a road.
The main street is next on the boys' list

"We were driving home in my mum's car and we saw some dirty signs so we decided to go clean them to allow people to be able to see them," 10-year-old Jonah told BBC News NI.

So, along with his younger brother Eli, who is nine, they decided they wanted to "make Millisle shine".

Situated on the Ards Peninsula, the village is a popular spot in the summer for caravanners and day trippers alike.

Being able to give back to their community has made the brothers so proud.

"People say 'well done' and people drive past in cars and give me the thumbs up and beep the horn," Eli said.

"It makes me feel really happy and it makes me feel very good because I've done something well done."

The image shows two street signs, both reading Cornmill Avenue, positioned at slightly different angles against a backdrop of dense green foliage. The signs are mounted on metal posts and appear weathered, with some dirt and discoloration suggesting age and exposure to the elements.
Taking before and after pictures of their work is the highlight for the brothers

For Eli, cleaning the signs would be no fun without Jonah, even if they do have the odd disagreement.

So far, they have cleaned 36 street signs out of the 50 they have on their list.

"We'll keep going until we get the job done, whatever the weather but so far it's been warm," said Eli.

Teamwork makes the dream work

Jonah hopes their efforts can inspire other young people to help improve their communities in the future.

"It's very important to take pride in your village.

"Doing something small can make a big difference," Jonah said.

The image shows a woman standing outdoors on a bright, sunny day, smiling warmly at the camera. She wears dark sunglasses, a black zip-up jacket, and a white shirt underneath. A small microphone with a windscreen is clipped near her collar, suggesting she may be participating in an interview or recording. Her blonde hair is tied back, and the sunlight highlights her face and hair.
Jemma Hutchinson has lived in Millisle all her life

Their efforts have attracted praise from local residents.

Jemma Hutchinson said the signs "looked brilliant – you can actually see the names of the streets now" and added that the boys have been setting an example for all.

"There's been a lot of work in Millisle over the last 12 months about taking pride in the village, getting it back to its heyday and making it wonderful again," she said.

"It's great to see young people getting involved and using their summer holidays wisely to make our village a little bit better."

The image shows an older woman standing outdoors on a sunny day, with a clear blue sky behind her. She has short white hair and wears a sleeveless camouflage-patterned top. Around her neck hangs a blue lanyard that reads Primary School, along with a small microphone covered by a windscreen, suggesting she might be giving an interview or recording something.
Carole McAvoy from Millisle Primary School said the boys' work was "absolutely wonderful"

Staff at Millisle Primary School have also been keeping a close eye on their efforts.

School secretary, Carole McAvoy, said the boys were a credit to themselves with the social enterprise "absolutely wonderful to see".

The boys' proud mum, Shelley, is their number one cheerleader though and has been seen "maybe once or twice helping to dry the signs", according to Eli.

While a summer spent cleaning street signs wasn't exactly what she had planned, Shelley wouldn't have it any other way.

"I was really pleased with them showing some initiative… it's really nice to be able to do something that they'll always remember and be proud of," she said.

"We do a wee bit each day and have the Main Street on the horizon.

"We're hitting the dirty ones first and we'll see where we are by the time we get to 50 – there might not be many left by then."