BIG Tidy Ups

Thursday, May 23, 2013

You are here: BIG Tidy Ups

ALMOST 1,000 BAGS OF RUBBISH COLLECTED

Altrincham's Big 1,000 Tidy Up:

SUNDAY MAY 12TH 2pm-4pm

Special FREE Refreshments 4-5pm

This event will be an extra special one. We've already collected 949 bags of rubbish and during this event, we expect to reach a significant milestone - collecting our 1,000th bag. Please join us to celebrate the achievements of local people who have transformed Altrincham into a cleaner and more pleasant town. Please note that the meeting place has changed for this event and participation is now by registration only, so please register here:

How The Big Tidy Up Works

When we meet, we give a short instructional briefing, then distribute equipment and split up into teams of between 2-4 people who stay together. Each team member is given a map showing their litter picking route. Bags of rubbish (and other larger items) are tied up and left by the roadside during the litter pick and teams notify us of their location so they can be collected later. It is very important for team members to return to the meeting point at the end of the litter pick to return equipment, let us know they're OK and of course, to enjoy some refreshments.

CLOTHING

Please dress for the weather! If it's raining lightly, the litter pick will still go ahead so boots, hats, gloves and waterproof coats are ideal. Gardening or work gloves are the most protective, but rubber gloves will at least keep your hands clean. Disposable latex gloves or nice leather or woolly gloves are not recommended.

If there is continuous heavy rain or very high winds, we will reschedule the event.

REFRESHMENTS

We provide free refreshments at the end of each event. If you do bring items with you, a rucksack is ideal because you need two free hands to litter pick. We suggest you leave handbags at home rather than in your car for reasons of safety.

EQUIPMENT

We provide litter pickers, high viz vests, handihoops and rubbish bags.

If you have one, please bring your mobile phone so we can contact you if necessary or you need assistance.

AGE LIMITS & MOBILITY

Our events are for young and not so young.

The litter pickers we use mean that you don't have to bend down a lot, so you don't need to be particularly flexible. You do need to be able to get about, but that doesn't mean that wheelchair users are excluded. However, as litter pickers need both hands, wheelchairs users would find it easier to have someone assisting them. We will be careful to assign wheelchair users to hard-surfaced areas to make things as easy as possible.

Young people and children are welcome at the event. In fact, we would be delighted to see youngsters taking part and leading by example. However, for reasons of safety, we require all children to be supervised by accompanying adults and the activity is unsuitable for children under 4. Please ensure that children do not pick up anything sharp (like broken glass) and that their hands are properly protected.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1.
Where should we NOT pick up litter from?

Q2.
What about dangerous rubbish such as broken glass, needles, knives or other sharp objects?

Q3.
Where will we be picking up litter from? Can I nominate an area?

Q4.
What happens to the rubbish we collect? Is it recycled?

Q5.
Where should we look for rubbish?

Q6.
What kind of rubbish will we pick up?

Mini 'Hardcore' Tidy Up

Are you up for some hardcore litter picking on Saturday May 11th? We're looking for a small team of adults who will spend the afternoon clearing the verges along the A56 from Dunham traffic lights down to the Lymm roundabout at the bottom of the hill. Last year, a team of four of us cleared 29 bags and an assortment of other detritus.

A year later, and the area needs targetting again. It is an important approach road from the motorway network and gives people a first impression of our area, so let's make it a clean and tidy, well-kept one to help attract visitors and investment. Anyone interested in being part of this small team (adults only), please email me ASAP.

OUR OWN Achievements To Date

Well done and thank you to everyone who has taken part so far. Why not join us next time?

949 BAGS OF RUBBISH COLLECTED TO DATE

17th March 2013

12 people collected 30 bags of rubbish and various other pieces of large junk from around the town centre grot spots. We also removed fly posters from near the cinema and painted over graffiti tags on the side and rear or ATS.

27th January 2013

20 people including 3 young boys with their parents collected 47 bags of rubbish and various other pieces of large junk from around the town centre grot spots. We spent a lot of time and effort clearing the banks along Denmark Street footpaths and under the railway arches, behind the station buildings. As usual, we had great weather and had teams clearing busy roads and car parks, wherever the most litter was lurking! This time, local firm Dream Cleaning helped by cleaning some of our filthy road signs.

25th November 2012

13 people collected 41 bags of rubbish from around the town centre, car parks, Hale Brook area and Altrincham Football Club car park. An iPhone was found and returned to its owner and a bike was found and handed in to police. Fly-posting was removed across the road from the Apollo cinema and 12 graffiti locations were cleaned including on property belonging to HSBC, Boots Opticians, BAP and Explore Learning. Tinsel was removed from high up in a tree on Central Way and reports were made about more graffiti and a fallen tree.

9th September 2012

17 people collected 49 bags of rubbish and other debris from around the town centre, car parks and Stamford Park. We also swept a huge amount of moss and twigs off the pedestrian bridge across the A56 by Loreto.

1st July 2012

19 people collected 44 bags of rubbish primarily from Altrincham town centre areas.

22nd April 2012

9 people collected 31 bags of rubbish primarily from the route through Altrincham of the Greater Manchester Marathon which takes place on 29th April.

21st April 2012

4 people collected 29 bags of rubbish and numerous large pieces of detritus including lorry tyres and sign boards along the A56 from Regent Road in Altrincham to the M56 Lymm Roundabout.

15th April 2012

37 people including 8 children collected 37 bags of rubbish from all over Timperley.

30th March 2012

3 people collected 18 bags or rubbish and numerous mostly metal objects from Grove Park, off Thorley Lane in Hale/Timperley.

3rd March 2012

11 people, 35 bags of rubbish, 14 graffiti sites cleaned, 6 trees cleared of rubbish and a large expans of graffiti painted over under the railway arches.

22nd January 2012

14 people, 47 bags of rubbish, some signs, wheel trims and a broken scooter. Plus we removed masses of plastic that was knotted around a tree near the cinema.

6th November 2011

15 people, 41 bags of rubbish and a car seat.

24th July 2011

16 people, 38 bags of rubbish.

22nd May 2011

31 people, 55 bags of rubbish. Four people also cleaned graffiti off bins, bollards, benches, road signs and phone boxes.

27th March 2011

13 people, 44 bags of rubbish.

14th November 2010

40 people , 124 bags of rubbish.

10th October 2010

16 people, 56 bags of rubbish

29th August 2010

31 people, 92 bags of rubbish

29th July 2010

46 people, 24 bags of rubbish