Bedford Borough's Spring Clean

27 April 2011, 15:15 | Updated: 27 April 2011, 15:23

Throughout April, the Pride in Bedford Team have hosted a series of Spring Clean events which look set to fill a record number of bags with litter and rubbish gathered from the streets and green spaces within Bedford Borough.

Steve Tomlin, Assistant Director of Environment and Communities, at Bedford Borough Council, said: “April’s big spring month is going from strength to strength thanks to the support we have had from volunteers at events. This April, we are aiming to pick up the most bags of litter in one month, our previous record was 317 bags and we hope to match, or even beat that, by the end of this month.”

Saturday morning litter picks including Stewartby, Althorpe Street, Oakley, Ravensden. Wyboston, Chawston, Colesden, Thurleigh, Melchbourne, Yelden are already taken place and volunteers were rewarded with vouchers for free filled baguettes from Limes Coffee Shop and Takeaway on Lime Street.

Last week, a special week of litter picks took place which saw members of the public join up with Bedford Borough Environment & Community Team and Tesco staff to tackle Cardington Road and the meadows surrounding the Tesco store - clearing up a massive 62 bags in just two hours! Other events during the week included Renhold, Brickhill and Southville Road area.

The last event of the month is ‘Rivercare’ which will be concentrating on the Queen’s Park stretch of the river and takes place this Saturday (30th April), from 10am – 1pm. The event will have a ‘royal theme’ with crown decorating, ‘royal’ refreshments and even a visit from Flynn the Bin Elf who will become ‘King Flynn’ for the event. The event will be supported by Viking Kayak Club and the Bedford Sub Aqua Divers who will be in the river collecting litter and rubbish from the ‘Paddlers’ area of the river.

Concentrating on the Paddlers area of the river, volunteers can access the River either by the footpath next to Paddlers Court on Honey Hill Road or by the end of Woodstock Road. Volunteers are encouraged to either walk, or cycle, to the event as parking will be limited.