Sheffield's streets left spotless after city-wide spring clean

Groups of litter pickers helped to purge packets of empty crisp packets, plastic bottles and sweet wrappers as part of The Great British Spring Clean.

Among those who did their bit to make Sheffield spotless were volunteers at Hunter’s Bar Infant School.

“I think it’s a great way of making people think a bit more about litter, and to take a bit more responsibility for it,” said James Winters, who organised the litter pick.

Mr Winters, whose four-year-old son, Eli, is a pupil at the school, added: “It’s been good, we’ve had about 30 people down today, including children, and have collected about 25 bags of rubbish.

“We’ve been collecting rubbish around the school and in Endcliffe Park.

“I think if everyone agreed to take a bit of responsibility and pick up the bits of litter within 10 feet of their house it would solve the problem.”

Around 30 staff and students at Longley Park Sixth Form College braved the rain on Friday to clear rubbish from surrounding streets, collecting around 10 sacks of litter.

Rachael Batty, from the college, in Longley, said: “We want to do what we can within our local community, and we’re so grateful to everyone who joined the litter pick in such dreadful weather.

“As well as cleaning up the streets around the college, we wanted to send a positive message to our students to encourage them to clean up after themselves.

“We had a good reaction from residents, with one man stopping his car and asking if he could help out next time we organise a clean-up.”

Friday’s litter pick also marked the launch of the college’s student ambassador scheme, which will see selected pupils paid for helping out in the local community each week with clean-ups and other activities.

There were also spring clean events held in Chapeltown, Spring Lane at Wardsend Cemetery and at Batemoor Ambulance station.

The Great British Spring Clean is a national campaign that seeks to bring people across the country together to clean-up areas blighted by rubbish.

Camille McCawley of Keep Britain Tidy told The Star that a Clean Sheffield campaign was just about to be launched by the charity in a bid to continue the good work carried out by volunteers this weekend.

Contact Camille at [email protected] for more details.