50 bags of litter have been collected as part of a joint effort by the Rapid Relief Team UK (RRT) charity and members of the Adlington village community in East Cheshire.
Off the back of a successful litter picking initiative which was undertaken in neighbouring Poynton at the end of last year in partnership with Poynton Town Council and locals, the regional branch of the RRT recently turned their attention to Adlington, as they look to help to tackle the problem of littering and fly tipping in the UK.
Last year, environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy released a report that revealed the alarming scale of England’s litter problem – with more than 90% of the places surveyed across Britain blighted by litter.
This data has accelerated the need for action, with enforcement measures, public reporting, education, and crucially community clean-up efforts necessary to help to tackle the issue.
Against this backdrop, volunteers from the RRT and members of the Adlington community set off through the village, with a route passing near to Jubilee Copse and other much-loved local green spaces.
With a shared goal of ensuring that the town remains clean, safe, and tidy for residents and visitors, RRT volunteers and those from the village spent the morning removing litter ranging from single use plastics to much larger items.
After a productive session which saw 50 bags of litter collected, the RRT volunteer team cooked and served free hot meals and drinks as a show of appreciation for everybody’s hard work.
The RRT charity, which is made up of volunteers from the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, works across the country to help communities wherever they can. They already support a range of organisations and communities in East Cheshire and surrounding areas, from local schools to the Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service.
Reflecting on the success of the collaboration, Amos Wilkinson – Local Team Leader at the RRT, said:
“Off the back of our successful litter pick in Poynton at the back end of last year, it was excellent to collaborate with the local community of Adlington on this latest clean-up effort.
“Alongside other forms of action, the role that communities can play in coming together to discourage and remove litter is essential if we are to combat this issue within our local areas. It was telling to see how much litter we collected over the course of the morning as this demonstrates the invaluable role that days such as this can make.
“Together with volunteers from the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church and the RRT, we are committed to supporting our local communities. Whether we are participating, contributing, or leading projects, we are always eager to volunteer and help make a difference.
“Thank you to those of you who joined us from the local community, and we look forward to continuing to make sure we keep East Cheshire and the surrounding areas clean, safe and enjoyable for all.”
