People living in the Black Tom area of Bedford gave up their Saturday morning (26 September) to clean up litter in their streets.https://www.bedfordindependent.co.uk/tag/black-tom/
Young and older generations of neighbours funded their own litter pickers and brooms to make the area spick and span.
Community support
Read: “We made a mistake”: council promises to replant shrubs after Black Tom planter damage
Children taking part enjoyed a dedicated trash hunt to keep them engaged in the community effort.
The Burnaby Arms pub supported the volunteers by providing coffee, squash and bacon rolls for everyone who turned up.
Organiser Melissa Peacock said: “It was a great turnout and everyone put in a real shift to make a difference; the streets are definitely looking better for their efforts.
“We are lucky to live in a community that cares, and we now have a host of local pickers for the future.”
The volunteers collected 12 bags of rubbish during the morning shift. Local people plan to hold the community clean-ups every three or four months, with future dates to be announced on Black Tom social media channels.
