Help make Kettering town centre ‘gleam’ at autumn community clean-up
Residents across Kettering are being invited to arm themselves with brooms, brushes, trowels, tools, cloths and cleaning products for round two in the community battle against town centre muck and grot.
Following from the Great British Spring Clean event at the end of March, people can join in a day of action on Saturday, September 13 from 10am to 2pm.
Led by Keep Kettering Tidy, Kettering Wombles, and supported by the local Green councillors, the efforts will be focused on litter picking, tackling overgrown pavements and cleaning graffiti.
Adam Cann, a Keep Kettering Tidy team member, said: “We have been cleaning in the town centre every week since the Spring Clean, repainting street furniture, cleaning graffiti, removing vape stickers from bins and making the area gleam again.
"So many people thank us as they pass by, it’s lovely. People are just so appreciative that someone is making an effort to look after the town again.”
Local community litter picking champion and founder of the Kettering Wombles, Tinker Williams, will be taking the lead once again.
She said: “At the last community clean up, everyone managed to collect over 100 bags of rubbish, and we are hoping to beat this. We have been so grateful for the people who come out on our weekly picks, and anyone who is interested in joining, can find out about upcoming events on our Facebook Kettering Wombles group.”
The central meeting point will be at the Kettering town centre clock where volunteers will collect litter picking equipment or cleaning equipment for a number of specific projects.
Cllr Emily Fedorowycz (Green) who co-hosted the first Spring Clean added: “This is about taking pride in where we live. We need to get rid of the mentality that it’s someone else’s job or someone’s else’s problem to solve - this is our town and we want it to look nice. It doesn’t take very much effort to make a huge difference.”
“Across the UK, the areas that are thriving most are the ones where the local people take care of their spaces, where they collaborate with local businesses and councils, all working together for the same aim. That’s what we are seeing in Kettering, and with a new Green (Kettering) town council strongly supporting this work, things are really moving now and it’s very exciting.”
Cllrs Michelle Slater and David Donaghue (Green) have been supporting the town clean up by going ‘fishing’ for discarded items every week in the Slade Brook to clear shopping trollies and other debris from the river that runs alongside Northfield Avenue.
They said: “Members of the community coming out and doing litter picks and being proud of where they live is so important. It’s shocking what we’ve pulled out of the brook - greenhouse shelves, glass, cans, toys, car parts and more. A lot of this stuff could be easily recycled and yet is somehow ending up in the brook.
"We all need to play our part in looking after our areas, and supporting these community clean up efforts is part of community team building. It gets people outside, connecting with others, communicating and feeling good - come along join in.”
Volunteers are requested to bring gloves, and wear practical footwear and clothing.
Sign up at https://bit.ly/kettering-community-clean.