Paisley Daily Express

Volunteers set for £40k funding to help improve their towns

Cash will be handed out to environmen­tal projects

- CARLA TALBOT

Volunteers from Renfrewshi­re’s awardwinni­ng Team Up to Clean Up campaign are set to have access to £40,000 for environmen­tal projects across the area.

If approved by councillor­s, volunteers will be able to apply for funding to carry out environmen­tal improvemen­ts such as sowing wildflower­s, installing planters or improving green spaces for local wildlife and would allow them to work with landscaper­s or purchase small items of equipment to carry out the work themselves.

It would be allocated from Renfrewshi­re Council’s Green Spaces, Parks and Play Areas and Villages Investment Fund which has funded communityl­ed projects worth more than £1.7million since it was created in 2018.

Of the 62 projects supported, 34 have originated from Team Up to Clean Up volunteers and numerous parks, community gardens and nature reserves have benefitted from the coordinati­on of the campaign and the fund.

Councillor Marie McGurk, convener of Renfrewshi­re Council’s communitie­s, housing and planning policy board, said: “Our Team Up to Clean Up campaign continues to be a fantastic example of how we can work together with the community as a council, as is the Green Spaces Fund which has helped deliver improvemen­ts within almost every community in Renfrewshi­re.

“This funding would give volunteers the opportunit­y to carry out small environmen­tal projects which they believe would make a significan­t difference to their local green spaces and I look forward to this being brought forward to the forthcomin­g board for considerat­ion.”

The award-winning Team Up to Clean Up campaign brings the council and community together to improve Renfrewshi­re’s local environmen­t, with a £2.5million investment by the council in additional road sweeping, fly-tipping removal, litter picking, and gully cleaning enhanced by litter picking carried out by dedicated volunteers from the local community.

Since it launched in 2017, the area’s street cleanlines­s has improved significan­tly - with the area now being well above the Scottish average and moving from 26th in Scotland to 13th last year.

For more informatio­n on the campaign, including how to take part, visit www.renfrewshi­re. gov.uk/teamuptocl­eanup or join more than 3,200 members of the Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/ teamuptocl­eanup.

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Councillor Marie McGurk with members of the Kilbarchan Improvemen­ts Project
Green team Councillor Marie McGurk with members of the Kilbarchan Improvemen­ts Project

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