Cash boost to help clean up Rochdale borough

Volunteers for The Friends of Norden Jubilee Park’s Great British Spring Clean 2018

A cash boost of more than £38,000 to back efforts in cleaning up high streets and town centres will be received by Rochdale Borough Council from a £9.75 million government fund.

In total, Rochdale is set to receive £38,296 from the one-off funding, which will allow councils to partner with existing community groups to support volunteers.

They will be able to buy tools such as litter pickers, gloves and brushes and provide training for residents on how to remove graffiti or tackle fly-tipping, as well as organise events to encourage more families to get involved.

The funding will also give local authorities across the country an opportunity to do more, encourage communities to take greater pride in their local area and support campaigns such as Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean Campaign running from 22 March to 23 April.

Councillor Neil Emmott, Rochdale Borough Council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “We welcome any additional money to enhance our already extensive clean and green programme and will consider how best to spend any additional money we receive for this.

“As a council we understand how much our residents value living in a clean and pleasant environment and that's why we work year-round to make the borough’s streets, parks and green spaces somewhere to be proud of. We work closely with community groups across the borough and support Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean campaign as we want residents to take pride in where they live.

“The multi-award-winning success of our In Bloom efforts last year is a testament to what can be achieved when we work collaboratively in Rochdale.”

Paul Ellison, who chairs the Friends of Norden Jubilee Park and helps organise the yearly clean-up, said: “We have run our local spring clean for four years, and it’s great that the council and government are on board with previous years’ efforts.

“We are very thankful for any support in backing our efforts.”

The Friends of Ashworth Valley, Norden Environmental and Economic Village Association, Rochdale in Bloom, Friends of Heritage Green, Birtle Trust, and Friends of Rooley Moor are all ready for another litter picking event on Saturday.