Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Canal volunteers have a gleaming reputation
Work to clear rubbish from paths is praised at Scottish Parliament
Coatbridge residents who worked together to clean up a popular beauty spot in the town have been praised at the Scottish Parliament.
Friends of Monklands Canal were congratulated in a Holyrood motion put forward by local MSP Fulton MacGregor congratulating them on their work to improve the environment during the lockdown period.
The Advertiser told last month how Alan McCormack and fiancée Liz Burns first began tidying litter from a small area on their daily walk – and after meeting other local residents who wanted to get involved, the group has since grown with participants cleaning up more than 300 bags of rubbish from along the canal paths and 1000 people showing their support by joining the community on social media.
Mr MacGregor’s motion at Holyrood congratulates the Friends of Monklands Canal on their work to “improve and revive the beauty and heritage spot” and praises Alan and fellow leading volunteers Stephen McCargo, John Mackins and John Smart.
It states that “the project involves clearing litter and other discarded items to create a cleaner and greener environment that can be enjoyed by the community and wildlife alike” and that “children from the area have taken the opportunity – along with their parents – to help, including with participating in litter picking”.
The Coatbridge MSP’s motion also notes that delighted locals who have been enjoying the transformed canal paths “have been identifying and learning about wildlife and enjoying the treasure trails set up by volunteers in the newly-tidied woodland walks; believes this is helping them to take pride in their area; [and] welcomes all efforts to protect the natural environment, including this work to help preserve the history of the Monkland Canal”.
It has been supported so far by 12 other MSPs, including Elaine Smith, the former Coatbridge MSP, and fellow Central Scotland representative Monica Lennon.
Mr MacGregor told on his Facebook page how he and his two young sons have been among those visiting the canal and appreciating the volunteers’ work, saying: “I took the kids down for our walk and it’s the most natural and scenic I’ve ever known it to be in all these years.”
He called their work “totally transformational” and added: “Well done again to all those who have worked to restore this place of heritage, and thanks to those involved in the fairy trail too – the kids loved it!”
Alan previously told the Advertiser: “I’ve lived in Coatbridge my whole life and have photographed and walked the canal path for a very long time. It has always been a special place to me.
“The group came about after Liz and I decided to tidy up a small area that we stopped at on our daily walk. We soon met other people who felt the same [and] it got me thinking about how we could clean the canal and get more people involved.
“The whole community has taken this initiative to their hearts and we now have some amazing volunteers who have all been working on the canal for the past few months.
“It’s looking fantastic, so the hard work has paid off – the wildlife is flourishing and the whole place has come to life.
“The response has been incredible and the community spirit at times overwhelming; [it’s] created a feelgood factor in the public who walk there, and we all hope to maintain this beautiful part of Coatbridge for everyone.”