Residents turned out in great numbers last week to enjoy the sunshine and take part in a Castles & Coasts Housing Association (CCHA) led community clean up event in Northside, Workington.
The community day was part of the summer multi-agency programme of ‘Operation Respect’ events organised by Cumberland Council’s Local Focus Hubs, which aim tackle anti-social behaviour and foster community cohesion.
Throughout the day, CCHA colleagues were joined by local residents and teams from Cumberland Council, Cumbria Police, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, Citizens Advice, Family Action Allerdale, local health services and charities to litter pick, load up community skips, remove rubbish and promote health and wellbeing. Dozens of local children helped out too and were rewarded with free ice creams.
Jonathan Proctor, Lettings and Neighbourhoods Manager at CCHA, said: “Thank you to everyone that joined us last week. We were especially pleased with the large turnout from residents in Northside. They pitched in to support each other with the removal of items from their homes and gardens. It was lovely to the local children getting involved as well, not only in the activities that were on during the day but with litter picking as well.”
“Fly-tipping and litter can bring a neighbourhood down so it was great to see residents and partners really getting stuck into making Northside a cleaner community to be proud of.”
After a busy and successful day:
- 2 x 40 yard skips were filled and removed
- 3 extra caged vans were filled and removed
- 25 bags of litter were picked
- Many vulnerable residents’ gardens were cleared and bulky items removed
One local resident said "I really enjoy living here and exploring the nearby countryside. I brought my children down to Operation Respect today as it's important to give something back to the community. Also, the kids were excited about the free ice cream!"
The Local Focus Hub – a collaborative partnership set up to tackle antisocial behaviour and improve community safety – organised the programme of events, each of which was led by one of the hub’s social housing providers.
Please take a look at the video below for interviews and photos (click the 'YouTube' logo to see it with captions) and there is more information about Operation Respect on the Cumberland Council website here.