Junior Street Champions help clean up Arleston
Volunteer groups which included representatives of a number of organisations have taken part in a community spring clean arranged under the Pride In Your Community programme.
The event was arranged in conjunction with Telford & Wrekin Council, Wellington Scouts and Cubs, TWS, McDonald’s and Our Arleston Community Development, based at AFC Telford United.
The group included Wellington Scouts and Cubs, parents, Councillor Shaun Davies, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for Neighbourhood Services, McDonalds, Arleston Street Champions and West Mercia Police.
The Arleston event is the first initiative to provide groups of young volunteers with equipment to carry out community clean ups in their local area.
The event had in excess of 60 volunteers who collected over 40 bags of rubbish from access points to the retail park which included access to Lidgates Green, Manor Rise, Arleston Avenue and the woodlands and footpaths running down towards Ketley Brook Roundabout.
At the end of the event, a heaviest bag weigh in was held and various prizes were awarded.
Arleston ward member Councillor Angela McClements said: “This was an excellent community event which highlighted how passionate local young people are about protecting and improving their community. It was great to see the pride they showed.”
Councillor Shaun Davies, cabinet member for Neighbourhood Services, said: “Events like this are exactly what the Pride In Your Community programme is all about – bringing people together to make local areas even better. I look forward to more events like this one taking place all over the borough and it is a great way to mark National Volunteers Week.”
Alison Peel, group scout leader of the 2nd Wellington Scout Group, said: “We are pleased to be able to work with Telford & Wrekin Council and McDonalds as part of Scout Community Week.
“Receiving our litter picking equipment means that we’ll be able to continue our aim of making a real difference in our community.
“We hope that our young members have learned that we all have a role to play in improving the area we live in and feel proud of what they have achieved.”
Pride in your Community Programme is a £13.6m package which aims to significantly improve residential and employment areas including district centres and borough towns.
It will be delivered across the borough over the next two years and will have a significant positive impact on communities and ensure that the borough is an attractive place for people to want to come and live and to relocate businesses.
