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Bright idea! Brothers' street sign summer challenge

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.

Jonah and Eli are trying to make their Northern Ireland village shine this summer

You might have heard of a spring clean, but what about a summer one?

Well, armed with rubber gloves, cleaning cloths, sponges and soapy water, brothers Jonah and Eli have been spending their summer holiday scrubbing street signs!

The pair have been removing years of dirt and grime on the street signs in their village in Northern Ireland, to make them clearer and more visible.

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

So, what inspired them?

"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 said.

And 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, who is nine, 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.

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.

And what does their mum think?

The boys' proud mum, Shelley, is their number one cheerleader 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.

Well done Jonah and Eli!