[R]esidents of Ormsgill have pledged to keep their streets clean following a successful litter pick which took place last weekend in a bid to stamp out rubbish and fly tipping.
Local residents and volunteers turned out on the morning of Saturday 17 March, despite the cold weather, to clear the streets of litter which they say is a regular feature in their neighbourhood.
They were joined by staff from Cumbria Council Council’s Community Development team and Barrow Borough Council’s Streetcare Team.
Organised by Cllr Bill McEwan and ‘Friends of Ormsgill School’, the clean-up saw 41 people give up their Saturday morning to pick up litter around the estate.
Cllr Bill McEwan, Local Member for Ormsgill, said: “Thank you to everyone who braved the cold – together we have made a huge difference and collected an incredible amount of rubbish! We now have two skips on the estate to encourage people to get rid of any unwanted large items and to avoid fly-tipping.
“We are pleading with everyone to keep Ormsgill clean so that future ‘clean-ups’ are not necessary. We believe Ormsgill is a great place to live – let’s be proud of our community together.”
The weight of all the rubbish collected during the clean-up was 400kg (nearly half a tonne).
Peter Buckley, Streetcare Enforcement Officer at Barrow Borough Council, said: “The litter-pick was a great success with a fantastic turn-out by the local residents. The event also highlighted what can be achieved when all parties (Cumbria County Council, Barrow Borough Council and residents) work together for the common good. Hopefully this will help kick-start other similar events.”
Young litter pickers from Ormsgill Primary School – led by head teacher Mick Cull and enthusiastic parents, donned luminous jackets, gloves and litter grabbers to join in with the litter-pick.
Mick Cull, Ormsgill Primary School head teacher, said: “One of our key aims is to encourage our children to become responsible members of the community. An event like the Big Clean is the perfect way for children to roll up their sleeves and make Ormsgill a better place by clearing up litter. It shows them that the whole community can work together to effect change and that they themselves have such an important part to play.”
