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Thursday 23rd February 2006 |
64/2006 |
Photocall - Photographers/reporters are invited to the Spring Pride event at Dorset Road Community Centre, Hag Fold, at 1.30pm on Saturday February 25. Present will be chair of the SRB5 Board Sue Wilson, families from the community, council officers and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers
Spring is in the air in Hag Fold!
For the third year in a row, the Atherton community is celebrating its popular Spring Pride environment week. And the emphasis is on how everyone can make a positive difference to their community and surroundings.
Events planned around the whole estate include kite making, environmental banner making, anti-litter presentations, flower planting sessions and arts and craft workshops.
The green week begins on Saturday February 25 as two big wagons go round every street to herald a major clean up exercise. Unwanted bulky household items will be collected, and estate caretakers will be on hand to help make the area spotless.
The Environment Week is part of the street scene improvement project that has been running on the estate since May 2003. Funded by the government’s SRB 5 scheme and by Wigan Council, there has been major local investment in cleanliness, street lighting and pavements, with new bins and landscaping at local schools.
Sue Wilson, Chair of the SRB 5 board, says: "There’s been a successful partnership with the local community and the council Street Scene team to improve our environment and bring the community closer together. Each year, Spring Pride Week has been very successful in achieving these aims and we will look to carry this on in the future."
Residents were polled about the investment on Hag Fold, with 74 per cent saying they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the improvement works. And 82 per cent said the street scene works had improved the appearance of their estate.
Nick Burdekin, Wigan Council's People and Places programme manager, adds:
"The improvements we’ve made here have come directly from residents’ concerns. The strong survey response is good to hear because we have placed the community at the heart of the decision-making process. And there’s plenty more for all of us to do."