A SOUTH Wales residential estate is looking much tidier now after an incredible 22 bags of litter were collected in an hour, as part of Keep Wales Tidy’s Spring Clean Cymru.
Residents of Wildmill, a housing estate in Bridgend, joined with staff from Valleys to Coast housing provider and Keep Wales Tidy for the clean-up earlier this week, with crisp packets, cigarette butts, plastic bottles and small household items among the rubbish and recycling that was collected.
The event was organised by Valleys to Coast as part of a week-long clean-up campaign to celebrate it becoming an official Keep Wales Tidy Litter Picking Hub. This means people can borrow equipment from them for free to carry out a safe clean-up in their area, with the kit including litter pickers, hi-vis vests, rubbish bags and hoops to keep the bags open, as well as guidance on how to conduct a successful litter pick. The bagged litter can then be placed next to public bins for collection or, for bigger organised clean-ups, at a pre-arranged pick-up place.
The event at Wildmill was also a chance for residents to meet and talk to staff from the housing association, giving them the opportunity to share their thoughts and ask questions about their homes and community.
To further support the community, eight skips were also placed around the estate, giving residents the opportunity to dispose of bulky waste and large items responsibly.
Brian Jones, Bridgend Project Officer at Keep Wales Tidy, praised the initiative, saying: “It was great to see the residents getting together with Valleys to Coast and Keep Wales Tidy as part of Spring Clean Cymru to help improve the estate.
“We hope it will become a regular event in the future, bringing the community together to help look at ways to prevent littering and fly tipping in the area.”
Cassie Jennings, Community Estates Officer at Valleys to Coast, echoed this sentiment, adding: “It was a successful day, not just in cleaning up the estate, but also in listening to residents and understanding the challenges they face.
“Seeing residents take the lead and come up with proactive solutions was fantastic. We hope this will lead to a resident-led community action group, ensuring their voices are heard.”
The Wildmill litter pick was one of five events organised by Valleys to Coast as part of Spring Clean Cymru, an annual litter picking event organised by Keep Wales Tidy and running this year from Friday 21 March until Sunday 6 April. Other clean-ups took place in Old Brackla, Sarn and Ynysawdre, Bettws, and Marlas, demonstrating the power of community action in creating cleaner, greener, and more connected neighbourhoods.
Find out more about Spring Clean Cymru, including how to take part in an event or register your own, here.
https://keepwalestidy.cymru/caru-cymru/spring-clean-cymru/
