West Midlands mayor Andy Street says Sutton Coldfield’s army of volunteer litter pickers are ‘setting a great example’ to the rest of the region.
Mr Street, who leads the West Midlands Combined Authority, was speaking at an event in Sutton Park on Sunday which saw local volunteers join him to pick up litter.
The event was part of the Mayor’s West Midlands Clean Up campaign, which aims to get the region ready to receive visitors for this year’s Commonwealth Games.
And among them were members of the Sutton Coldfield Litter Action Group, which now has more than 800 volunteers who have adopted nearly 500 local roads.
Mr Street said: “It was a fantastic turn out in Sutton Park but that’s not surprising considering the Royal Town is setting a great example when it comes to litter picking volunteers.
“The size of the Sutton Coldfield Litter Action Group is quite remarkable and says a great deal about the community spirit there is in the town.
“My Clean Up Campaign aims to get the region ready for the Commonwealth Games and I know that Sutton’s army of dedicated litter pickers will ensure that when the Triathlon gets underway in the Park and the surrounding streets, the Royal town will be looking its best.”
The weekend litter pick, which was also supported by local residents and councillors and used equipment provided by the Town Council, resulted in two piles of bags, ready to be taken away by refuse teams. Among the more unusual items found was a huge aircraft tyre.
Andy Biddle, founder of Sutton Coldfield Litter Action Group, said: “It was a great event with Andy which we were happy to support.
“Our group is getting new members every day. I honestly think people are just fed-up about litter being the norm rather than the exception, and they want to do something about it.”
Pictured: Andy Street with Andy Biddle
