This month sees the launch of a new community-led campaign to reduce litter and waste like flytipping, in Beeston Hill* – and everyone has a part to play!
Called ‘Better Beeston’, it will feature litter-picking – but also community engagement, work with schools and community organisations, competitions, art and local ‘beautification’, and more.
A team of local residents have been meeting and shaping the project over the past months, and are holding a launch event on Sunday 14 January. Join them at Rowland Road Club (LS11 6ED), at 2pm for a big community clear-up – or at 4pm to hear more about the campaign, share ideas, and eat cake.
Clara de Sousa lives in the heart of Beeston Hill, and has been working with Cllr Ed Carlisle (Green, Hunslet & Riverside) and the team, to drive this forward. She comments:
“I’m passionate about this area, and making it the best it can be. We’ve been litter-picking here over the past years, and that work is important – but we’re tired of the ongoing mess, and want to change the way people think about their community, and build local pride in where we live.”
Cllr Ed Carlisle adds:
“Here in Beeston Hill, we face many challenges – but there are so many good people here, who want to work for a better community. Litter and waste is a major local issue – but if we all play our part, in big or small ways, we could change our community.
“The Council, and other organisations like businesses, have a big role to play – but it’s only through grassroots community action that we’ll properly turn the tide. Please get in touch, get onboard, and let’s do this.”
For more information about the campaign, visit fb.com/betterbeeston, or join the team on Sunday 14 January.
Opportunities to get involved include: joining with friends or neighbours to become ‘Litter Angels’ by adopting a local street or green space (all kit provided, and prizes on offer); entering year-round competitions; helping to coordinate the campaign, including social media and publicity; helping the local schools team with education sessions and litterpicks; project work with local organisations, businesses, and faith groups; or simply committing to pick up one piece of litter each day, and spreading the word to stop littering.
The campaign will be run in conjunction with other projects including the Beeston Womblers, Litter Free Leeds, and the national Big Clean Up programme. And it will be focused on Beeston Hill*: the big triangle of neighbourhoods between Cross Flatts Park, Dewsbury Road, and Beeston Road, down as far as the Northcotes. Including: Tempest Road, the Woodviews, the Stratfords, the Greenmounts, the Disraelis and Bismarcks, and so on. The campaign coordinators recognise that there’s plenty of litter in the surrounding neighbourhoods too – but believe that this zone faces particular challenges, and needs special attention.
This post is based on a press release issued by Cllr Ed Carlisle
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