Volunteers embrace clean-up campaign

Apr 23 2009 by Sandra Walls, Hamilton Advertiser

THE Clean Sweep Initiative has taken Lanarkshire by storm throughout this month.

Appeals to clean up Strathclyde and Chatelherault Country Parks as well as local towns and villages have been embraced by communities and volunteers all over the county.

The Advertiser teamed up with South Lanarkshire Council and Keep Scotland Beautiful to encourage people to get litter picking, and “Tidy up their communities”.

We have been encouraging individuals and groups to back the Keep Scotland Tidy campaign, and anyone interested can sign up via the KSBs website and make a pledge to clean up a particular ‘eyesore’ in their community or school surroundings, or to make a clean sweep over a general area in their town or villages.

Volunteers are provided with a free ‘clean-up kit’ which includes protective gloves, hi-visibility tabards, black refuse bags, clear recyclable bags, posters, badges stickers and competition details.

Previous spring cleans have been backed by volunteers from community councils, youth groups, school pupils, adults, colleges, local businesses, Guides, Scouts, eco-groups, environmental groups, council staff and churches.

They have helped clean up nooks and crannies full of rubbish that has been left to rot, streets, villages, school grounds, public gardens, wooded areas, nature trails, river banks and country parks, as well as town centre areas, road verges and lochsides have all benefited from the latest clean-up projects.

In keeping the momentum going there are further future events in South Lanarkshire which have been organised throughout the rest of April.

Hallside Primary, Cambuslang are having an event on April 24 starting at 1.30pm.

Kirktonholme Primary, East Kilbride are having an event on the morning of April 24.

Blacklaw Primary, East Kilbride are having an event on April 28 at 1.30pm.

Robert Owen Memorial Primary, Lanark, are having an event on April 30 at 1.30pm.

If there is an area near you blighted by litter or fly-tipping let us know by calling 01698 283200 or email: hamiltonadvertiser@s-un.co.uk.

To find out more about the Keep Scotland Beautiful, visit: www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org.uk to register.

People who want to organise a spring clean can also obtain assistance from South Lanarkshire Council’s environmental health officer Philip Kelly, call on 01355 806536.