Fight against litter stepped up across Sheffield

Sheffield's war on litter continues to gather pace after committed residents collected dozens of bags of rubbish and city centre businesses announced plans for their own clean-up campaign.
Monika and Agnes Spyve get ready to help pick litter. Picture: Dean Atkins.Monika and Agnes Spyve get ready to help pick litter. Picture: Dean Atkins.
Monika and Agnes Spyve get ready to help pick litter. Picture: Dean Atkins.

Councillors, fire cadets, police officers and dedicated residents gathered for a clean-up of Birley Wood on Saturday and the event was so much of a success that a new specialist community group will be set up to tackle the problem.

The Star is calling for a clamp down on litter, which is blighting our city, as part of its Clean Up Sheffield campaign.

Birley Fire Cadets on the litter trail. Picture: Dean Atkins.Birley Fire Cadets on the litter trail. Picture: Dean Atkins.
Birley Fire Cadets on the litter trail. Picture: Dean Atkins.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Coun Karen McGowan, who helped organise Saturday's event, said: "It was fantastic. We had about 20 people there - six residents and their children, police, fire cadets and local councillors.

"I've done about seven or eight litter picks and have never had so many people there. The best thing to come out of it was that the residents are now going to set their own group up so they can manage it for themselves."

The litter pick was held following a week of assemblies at Birley Community College where pupils hard from councillors, South Yorkshire Police and the county's fire service.

Coun McGowan said councillors would now work with residents to set up a "constituted group" meaning they can manage their own finances and apply for grants.

Birley Fire Cadets on the litter trail. Picture: Dean Atkins.Birley Fire Cadets on the litter trail. Picture: Dean Atkins.
Birley Fire Cadets on the litter trail. Picture: Dean Atkins.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We'll be having a meeting with the residents to get them set up properly, which is great because it is quite a bad area for litter," she said.

"There were at least six wheelie bins that had been burnt out and they're just the ones we could see. Residents have also complained about anti-social behaviour in the area too so hopefully this will go some way to sorting it."

Meanwhile, a rallying call has been issued for city centre businesses to join in Sheffield Business Improvement District's BIDSpring Clean - a six-week long campaign to tackle graffiti and litter.

It will launch on Friday, March 2 with a mass clean-up of the city centre and any businesses in the city centre affected by graffiti can add themselves to the BID Spring Clean schedule by emailing [email protected].

Birley Fire Cadets on the litter trail. Picture: Dean Atkins.Birley Fire Cadets on the litter trail. Picture: Dean Atkins.
Birley Fire Cadets on the litter trail. Picture: Dean Atkins.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Star is also calling for people to get involved in the Keep Britain Tidy Great British Spring Clean event on Saturday, March 3.

People are asked to meet at the Clocktower Pavilion, S5 6WS at 1pm and the group has 100 litter grabbers which will be provided to those who need them.

Anyone who is interested in joining the group or getting involved in the event should search Sheffield Litter Pickers on Facebook.