PEOPLE out shopping in a Derby suburb next week could find themselves on the receiving end of a number of random acts of kindness.
Pupils from Brackensdale Junior School are planning to surprise strangers at the parade of shops in Prince Charles Avenue, Mackworth, offering to hold doors or carry bags.
The school, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, took part in a project called Brilliant Derby in 2013.
It was devised by local children's author Andy Cope, who believes that positive messages and actions help improve school performance.
Rather than allow the project to lapse after a series of workshops last year, staff at the Mackworth junior school wanted to continue and set up Brilliant Bracko.
Deputy head teacher Benjamin Radbourne said it was important for the school to continue with the project.
He said: "During the training phase last year, there was a great buzz from the children thinking they could make a positive difference in their class or home.
"We tried to really promote the need for positiveness.We also had an extraordinary amount of children who wanted to share their examples of random acts of kindness from both in their homes, the local area and school."
Most of the children who took part in last year's events have now moved on to secondary school.
Mr Radbourne said: "We employed a teacher who had been involved with Brilliant Derby last year and along with former mayor Lisa Higginbottom's passion for Mackworth, we decided to remind the children of the basic principles and created Brilliant Bracko.
"We did four assemblies based on the initial training from Andy Cope and got a buzz going again. The idea is that it will become part of our ethos of our school and hopefully have a wider effect upon the local area as well."
As well as next Monday's trip to the shops from 1pm, the school is hoping to present the principles of Brilliant Derby to other schools who did not attend the training last year, and even include businesses or building sites.
Mr Radbourne added: "Our new teacher had previously done something similar with construction company Skanska, who built the Royal Derby Hospital.
Head teacher David Hall said: "Brilliant Derby was a world-first initiative in raising positivity in children across Derby schools.
"Andy and Lisa have built on the huge success of the Brilliant Derby project and created a community interest company called Brilliant Communities to continue to spread the word that happiness and positivity are infectious and beneficial.
"The children recognise this and are spreading the message with their random acts of kindness."
