Volunteers get behind community clean-up efforts in Daventry

A total of 375 litter-picking kits were shared among 40 parish councils and community groups in the district recently after the kits were bought by Daventry District Council using a High Street Community Clean-Up Grant from the Government.

And feedback from the groups suggests the equipment has been well-used so far, with some 212 volunteers taking part in litter-picking activities which resulted in the collection of 227 bin bags of rubbish.

Community litter-picks were held in villages throughout the district, as well as in estates, parks and open spaces in Daventry town.

In Long Buckby, the parish council held a two-day clean-up event over one weekend which attracted about 50 helpers, many of them children, including members of the village Brownie packs. Between them, they cleared their village of around 45 bags of rubbish, as well as some larger fly-tipped items.

Verdes Sandwich Shop, in Market Place, Long Buckby, offered a free hot drink to all the volunteers, while children who took part were presented with certificates at a school assembly.

Rachel Dobbs, who co-ordinated the clean-up weekend, said: “We were given ten kits by the district council and borrowed about 20 more for the clean-up.

"We arranged a litter drop-off point and allowed people to collect and return kits as they pleased over the weekend.

"I created a Google map which people used to tell us which areas of the village they were happy to litter-pick, so we knew we had most of the village covered ahead of the event.

“People of all ages joined in and it has been a massively positive experience for the village.

"We’re planning another big spring clean next March and will also continue to use the free kits as and when required. It’s a fantastic initiative.”

As well as the equipment already handed out, the district council has a number of spare sets available for people to loan.

They include a litter-picking stick, high-visibility tabard, gloves, litter bags and hoops to assist with litter-picking, as well as safety information and instructions for arranging collection of the rubbish by the district council’s environmental services partner Daventry Norse.

Councillor Jo Gilford, the environment portfolio holder at the district council, said: “We have been very pleased with the enthusiastic response to this initiative and I would like to thank all the volunteers who give up their spare time to take part in litter-picking activities throughout the district.

“Hopefully these kits will provide benefits to communities across the district for many years to come.”

People can find out more about litter-picking and how to borrow additional equipment at the website www.daventrydc.gov.uk/litterpick