Bolton community group targeting litter problems

Shabaz Hussain at the Bolton based Qasr-E-Sajjad (AS) organisation, is working with a new team.

He said: “It’s a big issue especially since Covid, there’s been problems with people leaving rubbish and general waste outside.

“We decided to do something about it and when we did, elderly people started to do it with us and it was lovely to see.

“As soon as we started, residents from the areas came out as well, which shows that is a community project.”

The scheme is also reaching out to people who need help to dispose of rubbish, including the elderly.

Mr Hussain said: “We want to raise awareness and get people involved with just one of our community initiatives.

"Especially as we enter Christmas and the New Year, the team is working hard to keep Halliwell and the rest of Bolton clean.

“It’s also satisfying to see the places clean once we are finished because you can see the difference it makes.

“That’s what we love about it too and we hope this will also encourage others to get involved because if we all do it then it wouldn’t get like this.

“We’ve also spoken to Cllr Mudasir Dean (cabinet member for stronger communities) who supports our litter campaigns as he can recognise the importance of it.

“His support is much appreciated in this and his excellent work in strengthening communities.”

The group is focusing on creating a stronger community through their litter picking strategies and hope that cleaning will garner more attention the more they do it.

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Mr Hussain said: “Since it’s close to Christmas as well we want people to enjoy themselves but also remember not to litter as so close to this time it can get messy.

“All families want to live in a nice area, and we can keep the areas nice by doing this, because it doesn’t get done as quick by the council as they are very busy.

“It’s up to us to do this.”