Volunteers carry out a “clean sweep” of Rochdale

L to R: Bobbie Jackson, Paula Burnside, Jess Collins, Orla Waters, Lucia Renshaw, Alastair Patrick, Penny Street, Liam Hetherington, Bryonie Hollaert, Megan Crossley, Jon Savidge, Aoife McKernan, Stuart Williams, and Jordan Small

Volunteers from the Co-op have carried out a “clean sweep” of Rochdale to tackle a number of local litter hotspots.

More than a dozen colleagues from Co-op’s Food Policy team and local funeral homes spent the day removing over 20 sacks of litter from areas including along Spotland Road, between the Rochdale Pioneers Museum and Co-op’s Rooley Moor Road food store.

The team would like to thank Rochdale Borough Council, who gave advice on which areas were a priority for litter as well as providing litter picking equipment and, collecting the rubbish afterwards.

The most unusual items found by the team were a roller-blade boot and, a driving licence which has now been returned to its owner.

Liam Hetherington from the Co-op, who helped to organise the day, said: “Co-op is committed to making a difference in communities, and litter is not only unsightly, but is harmful to our wildlife too. We were able to remove several sacks full of litter from local road verges and community spaces – it is great what you can achieve when you work together.

“It was not only an enjoyable day, but we were also able to improve the appearance of the area for the benefit of the whole community.”