Whittleford Park in Nuneaton is looking a lot brighter thanks to a major clean-up operation.
Members of Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council’s Green Spaces and Waste Management teams joined up with volunteers from King Edward VI College to support its Community Give Back Volunteering Day.
They were joined by staff from Warwickshire and Solihull Community and Voluntary Action (CAVA) who helped arrange the volunteers and printed documents.
Give Back Days allow for colleagues to use a working day to provide their time to the local community, whether it be as an individual or as part of a team.
After meeting at Stockingford Community Centre, the group spent several hours on their task.
Whittleford Park is Nuneaton and Bedworth’s largest park and includes a vast area of important wildlife habitat including wildflower meadows, woodland, lakes and marshland crossing between Stockingford and Camp Hill.
It is designated as a Local Wildlife Site due to its importance for plants and animals and it is also designated as a Destination Park in Council policies (the highest tier park) due to its great importance to local and wider communities.
Cllr Tim Jenkins, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Communities and Health, said:
“I was delighted that so many of our team members took part in the Community Give Back Day.
“We managed to pick up a large amount of rubbish and all in all it was a fantastic team effort.’’
Cllr Jill Sheppard, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Public Services, said:
“The park looks a lot brighter after the clean-up, but we would like to take this opportunity to remind people that fly-tipping rubbish in our parks and public spaces is an offence.
“We will use everything in our power to prosecute those responsible, so our residents can enjoy our parks and open spaces.’’
In conjunction with this work, NBBC’s contractor Ventureserve will be starting work alongside our Green Spaces, Waste Management, Housing and Enforcement teams, to clean up some other areas of Whittleford Park.
In some problem areas the Council we will be writing to residents and where appropriate, further investigating and prosecuting offenders for fly tipping and litter offences.
Initially, target areas for further work include Gorse Valley (woodland valley near Laburnum Grove/Hillcrest) and Hawthorn Common (open space alongside Rannoch Drive and Sunart Way).