Latest news with #communitycleaning
BBC News
5 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
'I'm a one-man-band Peterborough litter picker with no help'
A man who dreamed of clearing up his city's litter has said he has finally had to accept he is a "one-man band" after almost no-one offered to help him Fishpool, 69, set up the Pride in Peterborough Community Association Facebook group when he retired in 2023, and it had more than 900 he said while people pledged to help his efforts to beautify parts of the city, he has seen only one or two volunteers each Fishpool said he had no intention of halting his solo efforts, but added his "vision" of garnering support and creating little groups of willing volunteers had fallen, rather like discarded litter, by the wayside. Mr Fishpool, who sometimes spends up to 10 hours a day picking up rubbish, has admitted that "it is very addictive".He expected others to share his passion for litter-picking and clearing overgrown public he is now resigned to closing the Facebook group, which he said he would do "with a heavy heart".When he formed the group he said he hoped there would be "people in Peterborough who had jobs but hopefully they could spare a couple of hours at the weekend – or active retired people to come out now and again just to give me a hand". He likes to clear "neglected areas" and then "enhance them" by cutting grass and planting flowers."Over 900 people joined the group but I'd only see one or two volunteers over a period of six months, so I was out every day on my own, making up for the lost time other volunteers couldn't give," Mr Fishpool said."I was a one-man band cleaning up Peterborough."Asked why he had spent so much time and money on tidying up and buying suitable equipment, he said: "I just wanted to pay back for the life I'd had in Peterborough."I haven't got millions of pounds but I could give my manpower and it puts a smile back on to people's faces when they see an area looking neat and tidy."He has renamed his group Mark's Volunteer Community Projects in an attempt to make it clear it is now just him."People would see what I'd done and say, 'Well done team', and I'd want to say, 'Hang on, it was just me doing this'."I had this vision where I would have a nice little group of regular volunteers."I had all these visions of projects we could have tackled, but without the volunteers you just can't... so I'm going to scale down. The local authority can take over."Earlier this year, Peterborough City Council told the BBC that it was "fully committed" to cleaning up litter and fly-tipping, and it encouraged residents to help – either by taking part in organised litter-picks or by reporting thanked volunteers such as Mr Fishpool, but urged them to stay safe and not pick litter from the sides of busy roads. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Volunteers pitch in to spruce up Dudley
A TEAM of volunteers rolled up their sleeves to help spruce up Dudley. The community litter pick in the town centre took place on Wednesday, June 4, and was organised by the Dudley Town Centre Partnership with support from Dudley Council. Volunteers were joined by council officers to collect bags of rubbish from public areas across the town. Councillor Paul Bradley, deputy leader of Dudley Council, said: "It was great to see the volunteers on the litter pick today and meet the incredible community members who are dedicated to keeping Dudley clean. "I would like to thank the Town Centre Partnership for organising this activity, it is shocking to see the amount of litter that people have thrown. "I would encourage anyone visiting the town to be respectful of others and help to keep our town nice by throwing rubbish away properly." The council will now sort through the collected waste and recycle as much as possible. The litter pick forms part of wider efforts by the Town Centre Partnership to improve the area's appearance, boost visitor numbers and support a cleaner environment. Residents and workers interested in volunteering can email dudleytcp@
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Litter picks continue as community housing business tackles discarded waste
As part of their anti-littering and fly-tipping campaign across High Wycombe, Red Kite Community Housing have continued to do its bit to keep the town tidy. With numerous litter picks being carried out in recent weeks, those at the Loudwater-based business believe their neighbourhoods should be great places to live. That's why they carry out several estate inspections on a monthly basis, working hard to make sure their communities stay clean, tidy, and just generally great. A spokesperson from Red Kite said: 'These regular check-ups are a super important part of how they keep things looking good across all their estates.' The community housing business has also invited residents and Councillors to all their inspections, describing it as a 'fantastic way to show how everyone's working together to make the areas better'. They continued: 'When Red Kite's team is out and about, they're always on the lookout for anything that might spoil things for their tenants. 'They pay close attention to anti-social behaviour (ASB) because they want everyone to feel safe where they live, so sorting out any issues quickly is key. 'They're also focused on spotting litter and fly-tipping. 'No one wants to see rubbish piled up, and it can actually be a bit of a hazard too. 'So, if they see it, they act fast to get it cleared. 'By regularly checking these areas, they can make sure any problems are sorted out quickly.' The June inspections are now listed on their website, so take a look to see where they'll be. They added: 'If you fancy joining them on any of their inspections, just give them a call on 01494 476 100 or drop them an email at contact@ 'They'd love to have you on board to help keep their communities looking their best! 'And there's more - as well as their regular estate inspections, Red Kite is holding another litter pick next Wednesday (May 28). 'The exact location is still being decided, but it'll be based on where they're currently seeing the most issues with litter and fly-tipping. 'Keep an eye out on their Facebook page for more details.' Red Kite Community Housing is a tenant-led, not-for-profit, charitable housing organisation that was formed in December 2011. They own and manage more than 6,600 homes all within 15 miles of High Wycombe, in the south of Buckinghamshire.
BBC News
11-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Fly-tippers dumping piles of rubbish at Huddersfield playground
Huge piles of rubbish dumped and left to rot at a play park since March have made parents and children "sick to their stomachs", councillors have heard. Yew Hills Road play area in Huddersfield has become a fly-tipping "grot spot" with old mattresses and luggage also strewn about the green space, a meeting was told. One ward councillor told members of Kirklees Council's cabinet that "children should be able to play safely there" and volunteers should not have to pick up the waste. The council said part of the issue was the local authority's budget restraints but that it would do "whatever we can to make it safe". The pile of black bin bags at the Thornton Lodge Park keeps growing but apparently "does not warrant covert monitoring", said councillor Jo Lawson. She said she was also concerned about waste being collected by volunteers. Ms Lawson added: "There are bags of litter still waiting to be collected from a litter pick on Manchester Road within my ward that have been there since February. We should be championing our volunteers, not making them think what is the point?"She also urged the council to look at reopening the nearest tip seven days a week, having a token charge for bulky waste collection and sending wagons to hotspots to collect council's cabinet member for environment and highways, Munir Ahmed, said he had had "extensive discussions" about the situation and that "partnerships" were needed for the council and residents working together. Another councillor called for CCTV cameras to be installed, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Imran Safdar added: "We've asked for this so many times – the residents, the place of worship, the pensioners. "The children and the parents of the area are sick to their stomachs of seeing fly tips." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
