Spring Clean Week 22nd May

Everyone wants to live and work in a pleasant, clean and tidy environment. Lots of different Departments within Council are working hard to make North Down a cleaner place by clearing up litter, graffiti and dog mess and making sure that those making a mess pay the price.

However, with summer approaching North Down Borough Council thinks some areas of the Borough deserve a little extra ‘spruce up’ and need the help of local residents to make a difference. So we are asking everyone—young and old—to roll up their sleeves and get involved in Spring Clean Week 2006, which will be held during Monday 22-Friday 26 May.

Councillor Marion Smith, who proposed the idea of the week comments, “Residents care passionately about their area and notice the condition of their local neighbourhood. Spring Clean Week will give everyone a bit of encouragement to get active in their own areas, whether that be by picking up the phone to report a graffiti problem or rolling up their sleeves and getting active picking up litter, etc. With a little bit of effort by a good number of people we will be able to get the Borough really spruced up in time for summer.”

There will be a number of events and initiatives organised during and leading up to Spring Clean Week 2006 and details of these will appear in the Spectator over the next few weeks. However, Council is hoping local people will have their own ideas of what needs done in their area and take the initiative themselves.

Glenn Thomas, Assistant Borough Inspector with North Down Borough Council, explains, “A core aim of the week is to encourage residents, businesses, church groups, community groups, youth groups, etc, to become actively involved in helping to clean up their local environment. All such efforts will be supported by Council and we will supply rubbish bags, gloves and litter pickers to make the clean up easier. To keep it fun we will also be making a few prizes available for the hardest workers in each clean up. We consider this a great opportunity for residents and businesses to really make an impact in their area and we hope many people will get involved.”

He continued, “Of course it is not only residents who will be getting active. Council staff will be leading the way in clean ups and volunteering time during their lunch hour to undertake a litter pick in Castle Park week beginning 15 May. Staff from the Enforcement Section will also be focussing their efforts and ‘cracking down’ on a few key environmental eyesores in the weeks leading up to 22 May. Chewing gum on the street will be our first major focus and you will be able to find out more about this in next week’s Spectator.”

Spring Clean Week is a Council initiative working with Tidy Northern Ireland and Town Centre Management.

If you are interested in getting involved in Spring Clean Week please contact Glenn Thomas or Karen Kenny at the Town Hall on (028) 9127 0371. There are plenty of ways to help and Council staff will work with residents to make a difference in their particular area. So don’t delay and sign up for a bit of spring-cleaning today!