Norden cleans up for Keep Britain Tidy Great British September Clean

Volunteers met up to tackle local litter hotspots in Norden

Approximately 30 volunteers gathered in Norden for the annual Keep Britain Tidy Great British Clean on Saturday (12 September).

The event was held to replace the annual Spring Clean, which was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year.

Volunteers from across the area met up and spread out in every direction to tackle local litter hotspots. As well as the 45 or so bags of litter collected, there were several car tyres and other large items, even a discarded VW camper van roof box found. The upturned box proved a useful container after being dragged into position by Total Smart Solutions Breakdown & Recovery.

Rochdale Borough Council’s Environmental Management has removed the rubbish collected.

Local #LitterHeroes ambassador Paul Ellison said: “A big thanks for all the volunteers who gave up their time to help and to H Bell & Sons, Total Smart Solutions and Rochdale Environmental Services for their heavy lifting, and the council for providing equipment and supporting the clean up.

“Norden's looking great, let’s keep it tidy for the rest of the year and beyond. It's vital that we keep all of our beautiful borough looking its best and removing as much litter as we can, so that we can enjoy all it has to offer, but also so our wildlife can live unharmed by our actions."

Covid safety was paramount throughout, with volunteers operating in socially distanced bubbles and with PPE and sanitiser used to ensure that everyone could clean up in a safe manner.