RESIDENTS across the borough answered the rallying call to tidy up their neighbourhoods in style last weekend.
Clean for the Queen encourages people across the nation to get their towns and villages spick and span ahead of the monarch’s 90th birthday.
Organised by Keep Britain Tidy, the scheme was backed by Redditch Borough Council, which lent equipment to people to give them a helping hand.
Over in the town’s Central Ward, Councillors Debbie Taylor and Greg Chance organised a litter-pick along footpaths and roadsides on Plymouth Road, Oakly Road, Bentley Close and Edward Street – collecting a grand total of nine rubbish bags.
In Matchborough, Redditch MP Karen Lumley joined forces with Conservative group leader Coun Juliet Brunner and Labour’s Coun John Fisher to clean up Matchborough Centre – filling more than 30 bags.
The pair were joined by pupils from Matchborough First School and RSA Academy Arrow Vale, local police, PACT panel and staff from McDonald’s.
Leader of Redditch Borough Council, Councillor Bill Hartnett, joined Coun Pat Witherspoon in Barnwood Close, Church Hill and at Moons Moat Scheduled Ancient Monument.
The pair helped to fill 42 rubbish bags and cleared two dismantled wardrobes and an upright vacuum cleaner as part of the event – organised by Church Hill Big Local.
He said: “It was a real community effort – congratulations to all who attended.”
Weeds were also cleared to give residents a clearer view of the area. The volunteers were sustained by a selection of cakes donated from Shelley at MAGIcakes.
And the tidying didn’t end in Redditch. More than 50 adults and children turned out for the first of Studley in Bloom’s Clean for the Queen drives.
Delighted organiser Jill Liebthal said she had been ‘astounded’ by the response and hopes that it bodes well for a further clean-up scheduled for Saturday, March 19.
The group collected 15 bags of rubbish and welcome anyone to join them at 10am on March 19 at the Pool Road car park.
