Pride in Bedford run the environmental event along the river with help with BTCV, the Park Ranger Service and In Bloom groups.
70 members of the public attended on the day and along with volunteers from Bedford Sub Aqua Divers and Viking Kayak Club helped to collect a massive 63 bags of litter. Out of the river alone the Divers pulled out;
- 9 bicycles
- 2 tyres
- office chair
- 4 kids bicycles and a scooter
- a pushchair
- tin barrel
- 2 cash tills
- 2 shopping trolleys
- traffic cone
Along with collecting litter members of the public also helped BTCV to create a seasonal pond as part of their 50 th anniversary celebrations.
Wood carving demonstrations, an appearance from Dragons Den star Max McMurdo from Reestore and and Eco Planter challenge helped finish off the day and prizes were awarded to the children with the best planter creations.
The next Rivercare is scheduled for Saturday 11 th July meeting at Kempston Mill.
This Big Tidy Up litter pick meet at Williamson Road shops and helped launch the Kempston in Bloom campaign. All volunteers who helped to litter pick were rewarded with an ‘in bloom’ cake and drink. Many of the volunteers then went on to take part in the many environmental activities held at the launch party at Project 229.
Numbers of people attended- 19
Bags of litter collected- 26
Other items collected- 3 bicycles, 6 doors, basketball hoop, computer screen
This Big Tidy Up litter pick received great support from the local Church and BPHA and filled up a skip full of litter from the nearby streets.
Numbers of people attended- 26
Bags of litter collected- 15
Other items collected- 2 bicycles, plastic garden furniture, divan bed, coffee table, planks of wood, pile of old newspapers.
Stewartby held their first ever village litter pick in May and showed great community spirit with 34 volunteers attending on the day. Many of them were children and teenagers who were from the local cinema club. They picked up a staggering 55 bags of rubbish as well as a kids bicycle, car seat, 5 wheels, 2 tyres and a cone.
The next Stewartby litter pick will be booked later in the year and will be combined with bulb planting to make Stewartby a cleaner and greener village.
March saw the launch of Pride in Bedford’s new volunteer scheme, Street Champions.
The official launch took place on Wednesday 18 th March with smaller evening events taking part during March and April.
As a result 63 residents have registered so far to become Street Champions.
Street Champions are volunteers that act as the ‘eyes and ears’ of the local community, reporting environmental issues as they arise. These issues may include graffiti, abandoned vehicles, damaged pavements, litter etc.
Street Champions are provided with a starter pack consisting of an A-Z ringbinder that will give them the necessary information to report any issues that affect their street, as well as a notepad and various leaflets. Street Champions are also able to obtain kit such as litter picking equipment and graffiti wipes.
Stewartby May 2009
Further details on how to become a Street Champion are available at www.bedford.gov.uk