Volunteers spring into action and spruce up Norden for fifth Great British Spring Clean

Date published: 01 June 2021

Volunteers armed with litter pickers spruced up Norden over the Bank Holiday weekend for the annual Keep Britain Tidy Great British Spring Clean.

Approximately 50 volunteers cleared 100 bags of rubbish from across Norden village, Greenbooth, Ashworth, Birtle, Rooley Moor and Caldershaw in the space of two hours on Saturday morning (29 May).

Volunteers even cleared a fridge freezer, five car tyres and a car door which had been blighting the area before sitting down to a well-deserved bacon sandwich and drink.

Sponsored by Norden Bowling & Social Club, the event is now in its fifth year in Norden with more and more people taking to the streets each year, including children like Wilson and Douglas Read, who hate seeing litter when out on family walks.

In April, the brothers cleared bags of rubbish from the Caldershaw estate, as well as adding homemade signs to encourage people to take their litter home.
 

Read more: Norden boys clean up community after wanting to make a differencePublished: 24 April 2021

And – because they couldn’t make it on Saturday – Rochdale in Bloom partners H Bell & Sons took to the golf club and Taylor Park on Monday (31 May), making sure those areas were also looking spick and span.

Local Keep Britain Tidy #LitterHeroes ambassador Paul Ellison said: “We had an amazing turnout to help clean up our beautiful area, and some new faces helping out. A big thank you goes to the Norden Bowling Club for keeping us well-fed and the Co-op for the last minute extra bacon and bread, and the council for collecting the rubbish and loaning out the equipment.”

Read more: Paul Ellison becomes Keep Britain Tidy #LitterHeroes AmbassadorPublished: 04 May 2019

Paul continued: “It was great to see so many people coming together and making this another wonderful litter-busting event; everyone who took part should be proud of themselves. It was lovely to see so many enjoying the social aspects of getting out in the fresh air and doing something for the community before a much-needed catch up over breakfast.

“Of course, litter picking isn’t a one-day-a-year event. Unfortunately, litter is discarded every day and it doesn’t magically disappear. Next time you’re out walking, take a bag with you and collect the litter on your route to make a little and often difference, or put some litter in the nearest bin instead of leaving it for someone else to do.

“If we all did this, every day would help keep Norden tidy.”

The Great British Spring Clean brings together individuals, community organisations, businesses and councils to make a difference to the environment on our doorstep and is run by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.